maximum ride with later faxness
by crazyyesterday
Summary: this is about max, the flock. faxness in there as well i'll try and post something everyday, but we'll see. i'm busy a LOT. also if you get tired of waiting here look on the max ride website for username: goingcrazy in my blog. i post there first
1. Chapter 1

STARTING AT THE END OF THE EXCERPT AT THE END OF THE FINAL WARNING:

"Max!" Fang's voice reached through the silence in my ears following the explosion. I righted myself in the air and did a quick headcount.

"I'm fine." He was winging towards me with concern on his face. "Everyone else okay?" My flock called out, sounding off. I let out a sigh of relief and turned to Iggy and Gazzy.

"Did you guys do that?"

"Not us," Gazzy replied. "I wish it was though. That was awesome!" I rolled my eyes, then narrowed them at the window the sniper had been in. Was he gone, or was he playing tricks? I was still nervous about the lack of Erasers converging on us. The audience down below was finally starting to realize this wasn't part of the show. We hovered in the air where we had stopped, waiting for further blasts. I was glad that for once Nudge was silent. Fang flew closer and whispered.

"I think the coast is clear." His face was the usual neutrality that was Fang so any worry, fear, or otherwise was hidden. He seemed to be right, but I was still afraid to take the flock down there. Paranoia? Me? Nah.

"You guys stay here. I'll go check it out," I said, "Wait until I give you the signal before coming." I swooped towards the window and wasn't surprised to glimpse pitch-black wings follow me. I whirled around in the air, causing Fang to barrel into me and both of us to fall through the window.

"Arrrgghhh!" We managed to make it through without damaging ourselves, but between us landing in a heap on the floor and standing in a fight-ready stance, someone could've finished us. We examined the room, every muscle tensed. The room was covered in dripping gobs of meat. Blood and gore was everywhere.

"You guys okay? What's happening in there?" Nudge called.

"We're fine! Don't come in!" They ignored me and came in anyway, one after another like we'd practiced. And one by one they were introduced to the mess in the room.

"Oh, I'm gonna barf. What happened here? Is this the bad guy?" Nudge waved at the pieces while covering her mouth with her other hand.

"Absolutely disgusting. I'm glad my beloved Akila isn't here to see this," Total said. I rolled my eyes at the little talking dog. We jumped into Angel's arms and shuddered.

"Someone describe it to me," Iggy said, reaching down to touch the floor. His hand was right about a piece of the sniper. I grabbed his hand. Iggy could feel colors, but there was no telling what he would feel without out that extra power. Actually there was: squishy, bloody, and just altogether nasty.

"You don't wanna know Ig," I said, holding his hand between mine. He reached up and passed his hand over my face, feeling my expression.

"Something gross, huh?" I nodded with his hand still on my face and he sighed.

"Well, then I'm glad I can't see, but would you tell me anyway? So I know?" Fang came up and led him carefully around the strewn pieces of sniper, talking in a low voice. Gazzy was still standing just inside the window, his arm around Angel's shoulders. I was glad she had saved me and wished she didn't have to see this.

"Didn't I tell you guys not to come in here?" I asked, walking towards them. Nudge was looking green as she walked around the room, looking for clues. It seemed to be a future hotel room, only halfway built with the windows, paint, and even some of the drywall still missing. I listened for others in the building as I hugged the Gasman and Angel to my chest. Angel was crying softly, something that normally didn't come that easily.

"Angel, baby," I cooed, "It's okay, it's okay. Honey why are you crying? We've seen worse than this." And the bad thing was that we had. In my fourteen and Angel's six years of life, we'd seen enough to send a normal human being screaming, but we weren't normal. We were abnormal, in just about every way you can imagine.

"I heard him, Max," she sniffed. "He thought killing you would be easy. Then when I saved you, he talked to someone in his head and they exploded him because he couldn't kill you. It was awful." Fresh sobs wracked her little body and I squeezed her closer. I raised an awe-struck face to Fang and his eyebrow rose. That was saying a lot coming from him. People were being exploded if they couldn't kill us? Almost made me want to let them kill me. Almost.

"There's no one else here. Let's go see Mom and Jeb. They're probably worrying about us. And I don't think I can stay in here much longer. The others nodded and we left, once again one by one. I brushed my hair out of my face, wincing when I felt blood smear. A quick check, revealed blood and several gorey bits all down my back and some on my front.

"Ugh, I'm covered in sniper." One side of Fang's mouth tipped up in a quick smirk.

"What?"

"It says something that you're covered in pieces of someone who died because they couldn't kill you and all you can say is 'ugh'." I sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. It says we've been through too much." I perched on the window ledge and jumped out, unfurling my wings in a quick snap. Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel were already heading for the roof of a nearby building holding Dr. Martinez (my biological mother and the adopted mom of my whole flock) and Jeb (too much about him to say in a set of parenthesis). Fang followed me and we all landed in a run. Mom flung herself at us, somehow managing to wrap all six of us in a hug at once.

"What happened?"

"Sniper. Angel heard him thinking and knocked me out of the way. When we went to check it out, he exploded. Ang said that after he missed, he talked to someone in his head and they exploded him for missing. We're all okay though." Mom just raised her eyebrows and nodded. She was _so_ cool.

"What are your plans? As much as I hate to say it, you can't keep up with the tour. That's completely mapped out and anyone can have access to your route." She pulled away from our hugs, all business, though she kept the still crying Angel in her arms.

_Texas._ The Voice was back.

_Hey Voice_ I thought _Why Texas?_

_Just go._

"Thanks a bunch," I mumbled.

"What?" This was Jeb.

"Just the Voice again," I replied. "We're going. I won't tell you where though. We'll call as soon as we can." They nodded, though both looked worried. I sighed, feeling guilty for leaving them so soon after getting back together.

"We'll be fine. You guys know that. We've taken care of ourselves before." Mom sighed and pulled me into another hug.

"I know. It doesn't mean I won't worry though." She sounded on the verge of tears, and my automatic maternal reaction came out. On my _mom_.

"Don't worry, Mom. Look we'll call you as soon as we can, we'll keep constant watch, and you won't have to worry about a thing. Okay?" I held her chin and she laughed.

"Look at you mothering your mom. I should be comforting you." I smiled.

"Do you have our emergency packs?"I asked.

"Yeah. Jeb?" He had been standing back, watching everything with interest and longing. He was my biological father and a whole lot of other complicated stuff to me and the flock. We were still awkward around him, not sure how to interact.

"Here you go." He handed each of us a backpack, filled with mostly food, one or two changes of clothing and whatever other things we deemed important enough to travel with us. I took mine, one of the heaviest and slipped it over my shoulders, glad once again that my wings could fold neatly against my back. All of our backpacks were black, hiking/camping contraptions with a hollow metal frame in each of them. They could hold up to a hundred and fifty pounds, more than we could hold, but useful and durable. Mom and Jeb had helped us pick them out. I nodded at him and watched everyone else load up. I gave Mom another brief hug as did the rest of the flock.

"Love you and tell Ella that too," I murmured. She smiled and my flock took off as one, no signal needed. We flew in two wide circles, orienting ourselves before angling east to Texas. I didn't look back.

Whaddya think? I'll be writing more, and there will definitely be some FAXNESS, but I wanna know what you think of then not love story part before I continue, because you know for Max that the flock comes before herself and Fax.


	2. Chapter 2

Here it is continued. However if you can't wait for each part, check out my blog on the maximum-x website. My username is goingcrazy. Here's the link for the first part, there's five of them posted on the site : /profiles/blogs/max-ride-fanfic-by-me

After hours of flying, we stopped at a cave somewhere about halfway through New Mexico. All of us were exhausted from the flight. We'd been spoiled on airplane flights and three home-cooked meals a day. I berated myself for letting us get so weak while we were still so vulnerable to attack. Almost as soon as we touched down, we were packing food down our throats, no one bothering to try to speak around the food. With six birdkids scarfing down at least four thousand calories each, we managed to finish more than half of the stuff we'd packed. I was sure that if anyone came up on us while we ate, they would just have to wait and watch in strange fascination until we were done.

"Uh. I feel like concrete," Angel said, finally leaning back satisfied. I smiled at her. The guys and Nudge were still eating. I knew Nudge and Gazzy would be the last to finish. I stopped before I reached that bloated, light-headed state, knowing I was first watch and that we would need the food later. I was surprised when Nudge stopped too.

"Nudge, honey. Go ahead and eat. I know you eat the most." She just shook her head. I realized why she'd stopped.

"Honey, don't worry about how much food's left. You know we always find some."

"I'm saving it," she said stubbornly.

"Well, then _I'll_ eat your share," Total said, diving for the pile still in front of Nudge. I groaned, but let them be. My little Nudge was growing up and taking on more responsibility. A lot of times lately, I caught her watching me for signals on how to act and comforting the others before I could get to them.

"Okay, Nudge, but you don't get watch tonight. You need to rest."

"Okay then," she said, beaming. And suddenly the chatterbox was back. "Do you think there'll be fashion shows in Texas? There must be because Kelly Clarkson and George Bush, and a whole lot of other famous people are from Texas and they like fashion. Can we stay at a beach when we get there? Like the one we stayed at when we learned Angel she could breathe underwater and talk to fish and then the Erasers and Jeb came and then Fang was beat up by Ari-" She stopped abruptly at the mention of Ari, my dead, half-brother. I'd killed him once. And he'd tried countless times to kill all of us. Then his real time of death came and just before he expired, he saved all of our lives. I was glad she had stopped talking, but not just because of Ari. Fang had been badly wounded by Ari in their fight. While he lay in the sand, nearly passed out, I'd.... kissed him.

Only the Gasman had seen, but Fang remembered and Angel had probably listened to my thoughts since then. I blushed thinking about it and glanced at Fang through my hair. His gaze was one me and I looked down again, embarrassed. He knew me entirely too well. Soon everyone settled around the cave, getting ready for bed. We stacked fists and I went outside to keep watch. One by one the others dropped off to sleep, though Fang stayed up working on his blog. I couldn't call it stupid anymore due to the mass amount of kids that had helped us out of a tight spot after reading his blog.

"How many this time?" I asked, my eyes on the night sky.

"About sixty-two million." My eyebrows raised as I turned to look at him. I let out a low whistle and his lips quirked. He stood up with the laptop and walked out to sit with me on the ledge. The computer's glow highlighted his profile and made him look extra hot. Oh! Forget I said that.

"Yeah. A lot of them joined after seeing us on TV at the Congress meeting."

"Oh?"

"They think you, Iggy, and me are hot." I blushed again and returned my gaze to the night.

"What about Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel?"

"Too young. Cute maybe, but not hot."

"And Total?"

"Absolutely adorable." I chuckled and glanced back at my flock, my family. They were so young to be enduring everything we'd been through. Even outsiders agreed. I sighed and frowned, my brows furrowed.

"They're _all_ young," I said.

_And so are you. But that doesn't mean you can't save the world, Max._

_Hey Voice._ I sighed. I was too tired to argue with it just then.

_Hello Maximum._

_Will you tell me why we're going to Texas? Or is a straight answer still too much to ask?_

_To save the world._

_For real this time? Or is it just another test? I'm so tired of all this and I wish it was just over so they can finally relax, Voice. Can't I have that? Just this once will you give me what I ask?_ This time the Voice sighed.

_I know, Max. I love them almost as much as you do. But this is your destiny. And your destiny must come before everything else. Even the flock._

Nothing_ comes before the flock_ I growled. The Voice sighed again and I didn't get any response from it other than that.

"The Voice again?" I jumped, having forgotten Fang next to me.

"Yeah." My voice sounded just as tired as it had in my head. Normally I was better controlled than this, especially around the flock, who needed me to be strong. But Fang was a different case. I trusted him to be able to handle me and the flock when I was too weak or tired or sad to do it myself. Plus he would figure out what was wrong with me even if I did put up that front for him.

"You should go to sleep. I'll keep watch."

"No. You have last watch. Remember? Go to sleep. I'm fine." I looked out around us, doing a quick check with my eyes. Nothing was amiss.

"Well then let's do a perimeter flight check." He powered down the laptop and set it just inside the cave opening. "Come on," he added. I leapt up into the air and opened my wings, Fang on my right flank. We started in a spiral, circling the cave in ever-widening circles. Fang had chosen the perfect thing for me to do to wind down. Flying was... wonderful, with the wind pushing my hair back and caressing my body and wings, cupping the air in my feathers and knowing that _I_ was the only thing between life and death. A smile grew on my face as we flew and soon we were looping around each other joyfully.

Though I kept my attention on the surrounding area, alert for any danger, my eyes often flicked to Fang, his large, glossy, black wings embracing the air. He managed his wings even better than I did due to the hawks he and Nudge had lived with while I'd been hurt and stuck at Mom and Ella's house. That was before I knew who they were, terrified that they would find out my past or that the flock existed. Now I was as close to them as I was to the flock and that was saying something considering that they were full humans, those we trusted least.

Several times he caught me looking and grinned at me. Soon he was so smug that I couldn't stand it and knocked wings, knocking him a few hundred feet closer to the ground. I wasn't worried about him though. We were a couple thousand feet in the air and he could catch himself easily. I did start to worry when he was down almost a thousand and still had his wings furled against his back.

"Fang?" I called, nervous. When he didn't answer I flung myself downwards, falling at a rapid pace. Why wasn't he opening his wings?

"Fang!" I screamed. He was only thirty feet away from me, but a hundred feet from the ground. I managed to dive those last few feet and wrap my arms around him in time. I beat my wings hard against the air trying to at least slow our fall. He was heavy, taller than me by a few inches and weighing about forty more pounds.

"Come on, Fang. Wake up," I groaned. His eyes were closed and his face was slack. What had happened? We thumped into the ground harder than I would've liked and rolled a little ways down the hill we'd landed on. Fang was still limp, his body spread-eagled on the ground. I crawled over to him and checked for a pulse. His vein pulsed against my hands, even and regular. What was wrong? I watched his chest rise and fall. Still breathing.

"Fang?" I whispered, "Fang, please be okay. Wake up, Fang. Please." I felt a panic attack coming on and fought to quell it. I had to keep a cool head or Fang could be in serious trouble. It seemed to me he already was. I passed my hands over his face, neck, and arms, feeling his temperature. It felt normal to me. Or at least as normal as it could get for a bird kid. I took his face in my hands, tapping against his cheeks.

"Wake up, Fang. Come on," I mumbled. Above us the stars twinkled, the moon glowed, and around us I heard countless animals. We'd been careful to camp away from any civilization and I half regretted that choice now. Should I wake up the kids? But I couldn't leave Fang alone here. What if someone came for him while I was gone? Curse words left my mouth in a steady stream as I bent over Fang and pressed my forehead to his.

"You gotta wake up, Fang. I can't do anything here. I don't know what's wrong." I closed my eyes and felt tears fall. I was doing my best to keep my cool, but I was slowly slipping. I couldn't lose Fang. He was my partner, the one I could always count on to help me and take care of me when I needed it. I opened my eyes and pulled away to look at him. My tears were streaming down his cheeks as if he was the one crying. They even started at the corners of his eyes. And then he started turning invisible. Right between my hands. It was his power. If he stayed still long enough, he would disappear from sight until he moved again. It was about then that I started freaking.

"No, no, no, no!" I ran my fingers through his hair and pushed his head back and forth, but he stayed invisible. It had to be his movement that would let me see him. My tears were floating in the middle of nowhere, showing the line of his cheekbones. On the positive side, no one would be able to see him if I went for the others.

"Damnit, Fang. Wake up!" I yelled.


	3. Chapter 3

He flinched, and became visible again. I watched with relief as his eyes fluttered open and he focused on me. He was all right. Sort of. I still didn't know why he'd fallen out of the sky, but he was awake and that was all I needed.

"Come on. We need to get back to the cave before something else happens," I commanded, standing up and reaching for his hand. His grip stopped me from leaping in the air.

"No, Max. It's okay."

"What do you mean it's okay? You just fell out of the sky!" He was sitting on the hill now and he gently pulled me to a seat beside him.

"I know, Max. I was just practicing a new power." I was incredulous and spluttering. He put his other hand over my mouth.

"I developed it awhile ago and didn't tell you guys. I think Angel knows, but she was letting me tell you when I was ready. I can levitate." He took his hand away.

"Um... That's awesome, but isn't it a bit... redundant?" That quirk was there again.

"Yeah, but it's not just me, it's everything. Look." And suddenly I was floating in the air without using my wings. It was unnerving as hell.

"Whoa," I said unsteadily, "Put me down, Fang. I believe you now." He set me gently on the grass.

"That's amazing." Soon my mind was filling with all sorts of uses for his newfound power. "How much weight can you hold? We could float a whole ton of food and bring it with us without anyone having to carry anything. And if anyone's hurt that'll help too." He stopped me again with the hand on the mouth.

"The problem is it tires me out really fast."

"Oh," I sighed, "Sorry."

"That's all right. You were just thinking of the flock." He gave me a full smile and I almost jumped. I ignored it and concentrated on the falling thing.

"Is that why you fell?" I asked.

"Yeah. Used too much energy."

"What were you trying to levitate?"

"Nothing."

"But-"

"It's not just levitating. It's all of telekinesis. I've been researching. Basically all together I can move stuff with my mind."

"Then what were you trying to move?"

"I was trying to see if I could bring some food to us to have a little picnic," he admitted. I rolled my eyes.

"Do you have enough energy to fly now?"

"Yeah."

"And you're not just saying that to be macho? I don't wanna catch you again, Fang. You're too heavy." He laughed and hugged me, arms lingering around my waist. He was really showing emotion tonight.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I questioned, watching him with concern.

"You're right. Maybe we should wait it out here. You can see the cave from here, right?" I glanced up and around, a quick search. With my raptor vision I was able to make out the opening of the cave we had chosen. I hadn't realized we were so close.

"That's really close," I said, "Did you manage to get the food out of the cave?"

"No. Just unzipped my bag and got them to the opening. It took a lot to focus like that."

"Hmm..." We sat in companionable silence, waiting for Fang's strength to return. It seemed odd to me that he was so relaxed and agreeable tonight. Normally I would have had to fight with him about whether or not he was strong enough and anything more than that little quirk was a lot. I kept watch from where we were sitting while thinking about it. My thoughts rambled and I eventually landed on a question that had been bothering me.

"Do you think Iggy will get his full vision back? You know, as a power?" It really made me mad that Iggy needed a mutated power to have one of the five main senses that most people had. The whitecoats had attempted to improve his night vision. He'd come out of the operating room blind. They were sick, twisted people and they were also the ones chasing us.

_Hello Max._

_Hey Voice. What are you doing here? Normally you don't come this many times in one day._

_I'm just watching over you. Don't worry about the whitecoats. They're too busy with their latest project. Right now a higher force is chasing you._

_Information. I'm impressed. I didn't know you could give me info without me asking for it, or even with me asking._ The Voice sighed at my sarcastic tone. I ignored it and glanced at Fang. He was lying back, eyes closed and I felt my heart clench watching him breathe. New powers were good. They were unexpected, a variable the scientists couldn't factor into their equation, but if they drained us of energy, that was a bad thing. I didn't want to have to see Fang fall out of the sky again. I'd nearly died watching him fall.

_Kiss him and get it over with, Max._

_Say what?_

_You two are _crazy_ about each other. As long as you're pining away for him, you're mind is off of the mission._ What was the Voice saying? That I let my emotions overcome me? And what emotions even?

_You _love_ him, Max. You can't deny it._

_I won't. I do love him. As my brother. I can't kiss my brother. That's incest!_ The Voice chuckled and sighed through my mind.

_Oh, Max. When will you learn?_ I had never been able to tell the gender or age of the Voice, but I could hear perfectly the love and affection. The Voice truly cared about me, no matter what I might think.

_I do love you, Max. More than you know._ I glanced down at Fang. His eyes were still closed, his breath even as if he'd fallen asleep. I felt my face soften as I looked at him.

_You're right, Voice. I do love him. I love you, too. In some weird, twisted way. But what if I let my feelings for Fang overcome my motivation for the mission or my love for the flock?_

_Didn't you say earlier that _nothing_ comes before the flock? Fang _is_ flock, Maximum. He plays Daddy to your Mommy. The only difference is you'll be easier around each other. And Fang might help you save the world. The whole flock already is._ I sighed while I watched Fang. I was certain he was asleep now. I let him have the rest. And Iggy too, who would be on watch next if I went to wake him up on time.

_I'm so scared_ I admitted.

_Don't be. You're more safe with Fang than with anybody else._ I felt the Voice wrap itself around my mind and heart, like a good hug, only inside. Then it left and I felt alone. My attention returned to Fang's sleeping figure. The only thing that kept him visible was his twitching hand and constantly changing expression. I wondered what he was dreaming about.

"Max," he whispered. I leaned closer, expecting more words. Then I realized he was still asleep and sat back. He was dreaming about me?

"Fang?" He was instantly awake, eyes searching for the source of sound, just like we'd trained.

"Max? What's wrong? Erasers?"

"No. It's just... I was talking to the Voice just now and..."

"And what?" He sat up and met my gaze steadily. I felt warmth all through my as his chocolate brown eyes fixed on me. I was still scared. But the Voice was right. I ducked my head, blushing.

"Max?" He put his finger under my chin and pushed my head up so our eyes met again. "What's wrong?" What was it the Voice had said first? 'Kiss him and get it over with, Max' wasn't it? I put my hand over his and leaned forward, closing my eyes as I did. I trusted the Voice implicitly and if this was what it said would help...

I pressed my lips to his, my hand holding his hand on my chin. Then he moved it to cup my cheek, the other one around my back. The kiss deepened and the warmth I felt earlier began to burn. The hand on my cheek moved to the back of my head, tilting it for a better angle and twisting in my hair so I couldn't get away. I wasn't planning on running this time. Eventually, I remembered to breath through my nose and the kiss seemed to last forever. Our wings slowly unfurled as we pressed against each other and wrapped around our close bodies, making a cocoon.

I was the one to pull away first and rested my forehead on his shoulder. Fang seemed tense and wary of my movements. I couldn't blame him after all the times I'd run away after kissing him. Realizing what I'd done to him those times I pulled away some and met his eyes. His hands had moved to trace small circles around where my wings connected to my back. It sent shivers down my spine.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. His face fell and he started to pull away.

"For kissing me, right?" he asked, voice low. I gripped his arms and held him where he was.

"No. For running away all those other times." I watched as hope slowly dawned across his face. God, I was so scared. He pulled me closer and pressed his lips against mine for one hear-rending moment.

"I punched a wall the first time you did that. In the cave, remember?" I was shocked and I guessed my face showed it cause he laughed and ran a finger over my bottom lip. This couldn't be happening. Every instinct was screaming for me to get up and fly away, before my heart could be broken or something bad could happen. I started shaking and felt tears come to my eyes. I buried my face in his neck to hide them. I wouldn't let myself run away again.

"Max? Max, are you all right?" He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me away enough to see my face.

"I'm so _scared_," I said, half laughing, half crying. Fang pulled me close again and cradled my head between his head and shoulder.

"Me too," he said, laughing nervously, "This is so weird." We both laughed a little and then kissed again, another sweet, short kiss.

"Wait, you said something about the Voice before you kissed me. What did it say?" I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"It said, 'kiss him and get it over with, Max'." I stated.

"And you did what it told you too?"

"Well there was a bit of an argument in between. Also it says the whitecoats are working on a new project and it's a higher force trying to kill us now." Fang sat back, his arms still around me, but a thoughtful distant expression on his face.

"I can understand the argument. That's just you. But I don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing about the whitecoats and 'higher force'."

"Me neither." We sat a few minutes arms and wings around each other, doing automatic 360's to check the area. It was almost like alertness and surveillance had been programmed into us too, but they weren't. Jeb had taught us, Jeb and our messed up life. Fang grabbed my hand and stood up.

"Come on. We better go back to the cave and wake Iggy up for his watch. We can tell the others about everything later." I nodded and jumped into the air, unfurling my wings at the highest point and pumping a hard downward stroke to get airborne. We were halfway back to the cave when I thought of a question to ask.

"What do we tell them about... us?" When Fang turned to me and smiled his biggest, smuggest, most mischievous smile, I knew his answer was going to be bad.

"That it wasn't just the Valium talking when you told me you 'loo-ooove' me." I shrieked and chased him back to the cave, both of us laughing the whole time. It was just too hard to stay mad at him


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up just before dawn to multiple complaints of hunger. Nudge, Gazzy, Angel and Total were all bent over me, puppy-dog eyes and pouting mouths on all their faces. Of course Angel's pout had just the slightest smirk to it. Little mind-reader girl.

"Pleeease can we go to a Mexican restaurant Max? We've never had Mexican food before." I sat up, rubbing my forehead.

"What about all those burritos and cheese quesadillas Iggy and Mom made for us? Those were Mexican."

"Yeah, but they weren't cooked by a reeeal Mexican." I groaned. Where had this headache come from? Was it a preview of one of those headaches I used to get that made me feel suicidal? No, it was just from the sound of four whining voices as soon as I woke up.

"We're too recognized now, guys. If we just walk into a restaurant, or anywhere with people, they'll see us and we won't be in hiding anymore. I was met by four more pleases and three (four if you count Total) pairs of lips that were so puckered out I could've stuck a fish hook through them.

"Nudge brought her makeup kit. She could do us over so we look way different." I glanced at Nudge and she nodded vigorously.

"How did you manage to fit that thing in there?" Her makeup kit was huge, with just about every shade of every kind of make up you could get including several nail clippers, hair scissors (and clippers) and even hair dye. She just smiled sweetly and forced out about another fifty-seven pleases.

"Hmm... We're gonna need a make over anyway, so Nudge, you do all of us up, so we look completely different and then we'll see about the Mexican restaurant. Until then, eat what we got left in the backpacks." They all lit up and scrambled to our pile of backpacks. I dug through mine for some Tylenol and downed two pills dry. Fang raised an eyebrow at me, but I shook my head.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, "Just not used to waking up like that any more." His mouth quirked and I was glad everything still felt normal between us despite last night.

"Okay everyone, while you're eating, I got some stuff to tell you." Angel grinned wider around her food and I groaned inwardly. I was going to have to do something about her and her mind-reading skills. They gathered around me and I silently cleared the path for Iggy. He didn't know what I was doing, though some of the others noticed sometimes when I did.

"So the Voice said that the whitecoats aren't chasing us anymore. Apparently they're working on a new project." Cheers went up around the cave and I quieted them with a raised hand.

"Now, however, it says, there's an even bigger force chasing us."

"Like what?" Gazzy asked.

"I don't know. That's all it said. Also Fang's got a new power. Telekinetics. It weakens him though, so we gotta be careful when we ask him to do that for us and when he practices." Everyone's heads swiveled to him.

"Will you show us Fang?" Nudge asked, scooting closer.

"I just said it weakens him-"

"It's okay, Max." Fang quirked his lips at me than lifted the pop tart in Nudge's hand away from her and to his own hand. The whole flock, aside from Iggy watched with fascination. After a few minutes of demonstration, explaining to Iggy, and a small fight between Nudge and Fang about the pop tart, they settled down and went back to eating.

"Is that all?" Angel asked, sweetly.

_You know it is, squirt_ I thought at her hard, with a stern expression on my face.

_But it's a good thing, Max._

_I _so _don't wanna hear it from them. I'm am not in the mood for their jokes._

_Okay, but they're gonna find out sometime._

_And not because of you, right?_

_Right. I won't say a word._

_Or think one?_

_Or think one._ She mimed zipping her lips at me and grinned. No one noticed the gesture. Soon we were on our way again, flying towards Texas. I'd finally conceded to Nudge about the beach and told her she would do our make overs there. She was _ecstatic_ and would not stop talking. I used my warp speed several times to keep ahead of them, far enough so I didn't have to hear her ramble about all the possible different ways she could make us up. I think the whole flock got tired of hearing it, because after a few hours, I realized Nudge was no longer with us. Or Total.

"Where're Nudge and Total?" I called, frantically looking around. Had we really left them behind because Nudge talked too much and Total loved it? The others began to look too.

"We have to find them. Fan out. We flew in ever-widening circles. When we had to split up to be able to cover more area, I started to freak. Where was she? How could I have let her disappear? She was part of my flock. It was my job to protect them and I had let them down. I _knew_ that if I... whatever it was me and Fang were doing now that something bad would happen. I was almost in full-on hyperventilation mode when I heard Fang's voice above me.

"Breathe Max. We found them. Nudge stopped to bandage Total. His bullet wound opened while flying today. He was above me, the best position for passing things. I reached up to see what he had and found Total in my arms. He was in his baby (sorry, I mean _dog_) carrier.

"Switch him for your backpack. I'll carry the pack." I moved above him and dropped Total down.

"Hold on to him until I get the backpack off. I'll be going up to get some altitude before I furl my wings to get the pack off. He nodded and I soared upwards, loving the feel as the air got colder, thinner, and dryer. When I was at a decent enough height, I furled my wings and started dropping like a stone. Quickly, I removed the straps of the backpack and as soon as it was off I let my wings spring out again. I was a few hundred feet below Fang.

"Got it!" I called. He swooped down shaking his head.

"It scares me when you do that." I smiled and handed him the backpack.

"Well then you'll have to hover above me and help me get the straps on the carrier." They were the kind that could be snapped, making it easier for us to put on in midair. He moved overhead and lowered the carrier full of flying, talking dog unto my back, making sure the straps hung below me. I snapped them together while he held Total in place. We both cursed when our wings smacked into each other, mine on an upswing, his going down and knocked us down another couple hundred feet. Luckily I'd gotten the straps just before it happened.

"We need a better way of doing this," he grumbled.

"I'll think on it. Why are we carrying you, Total?"

"I was falling behind. My tail is bleeding me dry. And my heart is just simply bleeding." I rolled my eyes. Total was absolutely in love with the heaviest malamute ever, Akila. We'd left her back in Los Angeles at our hotel with Mom and Jeb.

"Don't worry Total. They'll take good care of her." He let out a theatrical pathetic groan.

"My poor, poor Akila. She is probably just dying without me there by her side."

"We could go back to LA and leave you there. I don't know how Nudge plans on disguising you."

"I can't leave you bird kids to fend for yourselves. That would be dishonorable of me." I could feel him puffing up his chest on my back.

"Then stop complaining." Total humphed and I heard Fang chuckle. When we reached the rest of the flock, I alternately yelled and gushed at Nudge. She ignored both and kept on her make over prattle. I flew ahead by Fang and spoke in whispers with him.

"It worries me that we haven't had an attack for ages, aside from the sniper," I said.

"Me too."

"Could the whitecoats really be giving up on us?"

"No. I think they're just waiting 'til the 'bigger force' gets us, then they'll dissect us or something." I shivered and felt Total do the same. I sighed and Fang frowned at me, concern in his eyes. The look said, 'are you all right'. I nodded and gave him a small smile, meaning 'I'm fine'. I glanced at my backpack and raised my eyebrows. 'Too heavy?' He quirked his lips and shook his head slightly. We knew each other way too well. A whole meaningful conversation could be had using just our facial expressions. It felt right to be with him now and in the past, and definitely in the future.

"Anyone wanna practice some of our touring routines?" I called. Everyone immediately started shouting out their favorites. I chose the most complex one and soon we were spinning and looping, dropping and soaring around each other, joy on our faces. I _loved_ flying.


	5. Chapter 5

"Come on, Max. I could just hypnotize them and tell 'em that we look different," Angel whined. They were on me again about the Mexican restaurant. I groaned.

"Kid, you're getting too scary for your own good. Did even hear yourself just now?" She giggled and looped around me.

"No Mexican restaurant. At least until we find a secure place and Nudge makes us over, okay?" Angel sighed.

"Okay. But I'm hungry now."

"Fang still has my backpack. Get some food from that. I'm sure he'll be happier for the lighter load." She nodded and fell back, flying towards Fang who was bringing up our rear. I was glad for the coming makeover. My hair had reached that annoying length that was too short to put up and too long to stay out of my face since my haircut back in New York. We were over Houston and Nudge and Total had been begging for a while to check it out. Wouldn't these kids ever learn the concept of hiding out? However I was most worried about Iggy and the Gasman. For the last few hours, they'd been flying close and high, whispering together. I had the sneaking feeling that my two little pyros were up to something, but wasn't in the mood to get into it. Angel was whispering in my mind about me and Fang, wondering when I would tell them.

_Never, Angel. If they find out then they find out, but _I_ won't be the one to tell them._

_Then I'll just talk to Fang._ I felt her pull away from my mind and saw surprise on Fang's face behind me. I sighed and swooped lower, examining the ground. It was night around us again and the lights blazed from the city. I had made us fly higher as soon as I saw them.

I heard wings flapping right behind me, coming at high speed. I furled my wings, dropping and turning at the same time to face the potential danger. If it was Flyboys again I was ready to kick butt. Then Fang appeared in front of me, a huge smile on his face and caught me around the waist.

"What are you doing?" I yelled. "I thought you were a Flyboy." Since he still had me in his arms I couldn't unfurl my wings. He was holding my full weight along with both of our backpacks.

"How are you even keeping us up?"

"Angel's right you know. And I'm not. We're still falling, just not as fast."

"What?" I screeched and looked up, glaring at Angel who was falling further and further away. Then I remembered what Fang had said and realized we were the ones falling.

"Let go of me, Fang. We're getting too close to the city. They'll see us." He pumped his wings harder and our fall stopped, though we didn't get any higher. Then he pressed his lips against mine and I forgot where we were and who was watching.

"Ewwww!" Gazzy yelled. "You guys are so gross." I pulled away from Fang and looked up at my flock. They were flying closer now. Angel was grinning smugly and Nudge was beaming.

"What? What are they doing?" Iggy asked.

"Kissing!" All three (sorry Total, four) of them yelled. I blushed and wiggled out of Fang's grasp, dropping a few feet then soaring up.

"I'm gonna kill you Angel. I know you put that in his head!" She laughed and darted away, hiding behind the others.

"No I didn't. He just agreed with me." She was giggling and half-screaming as I chased her through the air. At her words I whirled around and dropped on Fang's back.

"Fang!" I shouted, almost whining. He grinned and reached up to pull me down in his arms again. I shot up before he got a grip and Iggy crowed with laughter, somehow managing to be bent over laughing in the air.

"You guys are horrible," I moaned, blushing. That just started a fresh wave of giggles through everyone, even Fang. I was never gonna live this down and why wasn't Fang mortified? I would've warped out of there right then, if it weren't for Total still strapped to my back. Instead I flew ahead, grumbling the whole time. We were only a few miles from the coast. I thought of a way to get away from them.

"Total, get out. You're flying on your own now." He reluctantly climbed out of the dog carrier and jumped off my back, throwing out his little wings to catch himself.

"I'm going ahead to scout for a place to sleep tonight. I'll use the mirror to signal when you get close. Fang, my backpack?" Fang swooped over me and dropped the heavy thing in my arms. Only now it wasn't so heavy due to the flock's appetite. I dropped to put it on then warped ahead towards the beach. Hopefully I would find an abandoned cave or shack for us to stay the night in. Just before I switched to my warp speed, I heard Nudge singing softly about me, Fang, and a certain tree.

Fang watched her disappear in a blur and quirked his lips. She was beautiful and strong and right now, extremely embarrassed. He almost hadn't believed when she kissed him last night. It seemed too much to even hope for and now... Nudge was still singing about K-I-S-S-I-N-G and Iggy kept bursting into laughter at random intervals. The Gasman seemed kind of green. Fang was afraid to go near him with that expression. The Gasman wasn't his name for nothing.

_You shouldn't have talked to me Angel. She's really embarrassed now and she thinks you forced me to._

_No she doesn't. She knows you did it on your own._

_Like that's much better._ Angel's laugh tinkled through his head before she pulled away.

"It's just so romantic," Nudge cooed, "You and Max are _perfect_ for each other. Gazzy told me about her kissing you on the beach when you were hurt. I knew you guys would end up together. Does that mean you're like our daddy now or something? Max acts like our mom. Are you gonna act like our dad?"

"No." She whirled around, a dreamy expression on her face. Fang was starting to regret listening to Angel now.

"So does she kiss any good?" Iggy asked. Fang stared at him and Iggy burst into laughter again.

"Just wanna know. Ella's her half sister ain't she? It gives me an idea about what to expect if I tell her." Fang sighed. Iggy had been crushing on Ella since they met. Again Max was the only one, besides Ella that didn't know about it. Max just didn't know anything about relationships.

"Well?" Iggy pushed.

"I don't kiss and tell Ig." He groaned and rolled his blind eyes.

"Of course. Mr. Noble all of a sudden now that you're Max's boyfriend. What about when you told me all about Lissa back in DC? And then when you described all the beach babes to me when it was just us and the Gazzy in California?" Nudge looked thoroughly disgusted.

"You guys are disgusting. I can't believe you. If Max had heard you-"

"Max won't know, because you'll keep quiet, right?"said Iggy.

"But-"

"You'll keep quiet or I'll tell Max that you didn't pack just your makeup kit."

"If you do that, I'll tell her where you hide all those explosives!" Fang shook his head. So many secrets kept from Max, and she didn't even know. Though she was often relieved when Iggy or Gazzy pulled bombs out on the bad guys or when Nudge brought enough stuff to make them all over tenfold, including clothing, she liked complaining about them as extra, unnecessary weight when they weren't being useful.

"All of you shut up and don't say a word to Max about anything and I won't tell her all your secrets, including your new power, Gazzy," Fang yelled. Gazzy groaned.

"Don't tell her that! She'll use me all the time and will be all upset."

"Then stop fighting. We're almost to the beach. We need to start looking for the mirror."

"I knew it. You are going to act like our dad," Nudge exclaimed. Iggy started laughing again, but the argument had stopped. Fang sighed again and shook his head, before surveying the long, sandy beach for a flickering light. The others joined him and soon they found it, shining bright from a small cave hidden in the trees.

"There it is!" Fang called and they all angled for the light. Fang could make out Max with wings outspread, backpack at her feet, and a small, warm smile on her face as she watched the flock come closer. God, she was beautiful.

"Presenting Omega 2.0! The next generation of Omega." The crowd of potential buyers shifted in their seats, not seeing anything special in the fourteen-year-old boy standing in front of them. This very fact made them lean forward with interest. It was a good defense mechanism: supposed innocence.

"He is twice as fast, strong, and smart as the last version of Omega. No longer is he distracted or easily overcome by quick movement. You all remember how Omega the first was destroyed by our recombinant DNA experiment with birds due to her speed. Now..." The woman paused and her eyes swept over the apt audience.

"Now... he can overcome all." She stepped back as the lights faded and a few people clapped. The boy stepped forward and was suddenly covered in robotic Erasers. They moved with precision and speed, but the boy was faster, knocking out all one hundred and fifty of them in under a minute. At the end of the demonstration, he bowed and slouched, pretending to smack gum in his mouth. Once again he looked the perfect picture of innocence and boredom. This time the whole audience clapped and the woman approached the boy, putting her arm around his shoulders.

"Thank you. We will have one final test, a demonstration of the boy's superiority and then the bidding will begin. If you wish to see the trial, simply log on to our secret website and click on the link labeled Omega 2.0 Camera. You will be able to see everything from Omega 2.0's point of view. Thank you for coming. You may exit to your right." The group began shuffling out of their seats and to the door being held open by a robotic Eraser. Some of the braver souls paused to examine Omega 2.0 with fascination.

He answered their questions unerringly, shook hands, and smiled, acting like a real boy, albeit, much, much smarter. However, inside he was fuming. The scientists had given him Omega the first's memory, so as to make sure he knew who and what his target was. The memory did nothing, but ignite a flame of anger in his stomach. He would get this Maximum Ride.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey!" I called, glad to see my flock winging their way to me, still safe and sound even though I'd left them behind. I saw responding smiles on their faces, even though they were still pretty far away. Total was lagging behind as usual, due to his smaller wings, and now his bleeding tail. I would have to bandage that up again. He was a fast healer. We all were. But it took some time to heal a wound, especially if he kept wagging his tail like he did.

I was glad when I found the cave, thankful for another save place to sleep. Civilization was a bit closer than I would've liked, but there was nothing I could do about that. The flock swooped into the cave past me, one at a time and running because of their momentum.

"Nice," Fang said, glancing around the cave with approval.

"How long are we staying here?" Gazzy asked, "I like it here." I had to agree. The cave was nicer than most of those we settled down in and the beach was only a few yards away. When the tide rose, we would be flooded, but that kept out any bad guys, and made for some plant life inside. My flock shook out their wings and settled around the cave, already claiming their sleeping areas. Angel sidled up to me where I was kneeling and trying to start a fire.

"Max?"

"Hmm? What is it baby?" I looked up at her. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her overall expression said confused.

"Iggy says to make sure you and Fang use protection. What's he talking about? Protection against the Flyboys?" I felt my face go slack and pale.

"Iggy, you-you... dork! I can't believe you told her that. Don't you dare tell her what it means." I stalked towards him, anger and disbelief crowding my mind. I had half a mind to use the flaming stick from the fire still in my hand and beat him with it. He cowered from me, laughing just as bad as he had in the air.

"Max, Max," he gasped. "I just had to. Please don't hurt me." Fang had managed a blush and some anger onto his normally passive face. Nudge and Gazzy looked just as pale as I figured I had been earlier. Total was already asleep.

"You horrible, horrible _blind_ man!" I screeched. He just kept laughing, wiping at tears that had squeezed out of his eyes and trying his best to dodge my blows (unfortunately the stick had burnt all the way up to my hand, causing me to drop it in pain). Angel still looked confused as I chased Iggy around the cave.

"Can I make us over now?" Nudge asked. I wacked Iggy with my wing and turned to her.

"Will it last the night?" I asked.

"Yeah. But if we're not going anywhere tonight I can leave off the makeup until tomorrow."

"Don't we need a shower or something for the hair dye?"

"Yeah. I guess we'll have to wait til tomorrow then. I can cut your hair now though." She sounded so hopeful that I agreed.

"All right. Who wants to go first?"

"Me, me, me!" Angel jumped up and did a very short flight to Nudge. "I love it when you do me up," she gushed. They settled with Angel on a chair and Nudge walking around her wielding scissors and hair clippers. I left them to it.

"As soon as you're done come out to the beach. We'll be washing up there." I glanced at Fang and he nodded.

"Fang'll stay here to watch you guys." Iggy, Gazzy, and I grabbed some clothes out of our backpacks and headed for the water.

"Uh... Maybe you and Fang should switch if we're gonna be skinny dipping, Max," Iggy said. I sighed. I hadn't even thought of that.

"Right. Fang? Go wash. When you come back, me and the girls'll go out." He got up and left with the guys. Nudge started chattering as soon as they were gone.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe you and Fang are together! It's amazing!" I knew this was coming. While I could stand the guys' teasing, gushing with the girls was something almost alien to me.

"We just have to tell Ella and Mom and Jeb when we call them. They'll be so excited!" I cut her off with a groan.

"We are not telling them. Especially not Jeb. Maybe Ella, but she'll want to gush just like you are." Angel giggled. It felt weird to sit there watching her hair grow shorter and more styled by the minute. I loved Angel's long, blonde hair. And Nudge could hack into computers and kick whitecoat/Eraser/Flyboy butt like no other, but she still managed to be a girly kind of girl. It was amazing, like she had two personalities.

"Aww.." Nudge again. Angel shifted under Nudge's expert hands and was reprimanded for it.

"Max is right," Angel said, "You're growing up." Nudge looked at me, surprised.

"You really think I'm growing up?" she asked, softly.

"Yeah. You're acting a lot like me actually." She beamed at me and returned to Angel's hair.

"Good." I laughed, watching them and wished I had a camera. My girls grooming each other had to be like the perfect picture-perfect scene.

"I think Fang has one in his bag," Angel said. I jumped and stared at her.

"We're gonna have to talk to you about your powers and a little something called privacy." She grinned, innocence emanating from her face. I rolled my eyes, sighed and went to dig through Fang's backpack for a camera. It turned out to be a fancy digital deal. Where had he even gotten it? And how did he charge both it and the laptop?

"As soon as we're made up tomorrow, we're gonna have to find a hotel to charge all of this and dye our hair," I said. They nodded, and Nudge steadied Angel's head.

"Stop moving or I'm gonna mess up, Angel!" Angel froze, a grin on her face. I found the power button on the camera and turned it on. It was a really nice camera, and when I looked at the pictures after taking them, they were all great. After about thirty of my girls, I sat down and toggled through all the pictures in the camera. A lot of them were of scenery. Flying over the Grand Canyon or the Empire State Building. And a lot more were of me.

Me standing. Me sitting. Me laughing while I brushed Nudge's hair. There were several of me flying, my eyes closed and a small smile. He even had some of me with Mom, Jeb, and Ella. How had he even managed to get these pictures without me realizing? I felt warm, thinking of Fang watching me with camera ready and waiting, snapping a picture when he could get away with it. He really did care about me. I felt a goofy grin on my face when Nudge called out that she was finished with Angel.

_See? He loves you, Max._

_Get out of my head Angel. We're gonna have that talk _real_ soon._ She giggled out loud from where she was sitting. I did a double take when I saw her. Angel's hair was now short, almost in a pixie-cut. The shortness of the cut, emphasized her beautiful, baby-blue eyes, and her cherub cheeks. She looked much younger than her six years, maybe three or four. With some dark hair-dye and maybe some contacts, she would look entirely different, without makeup even. And that was our end goal.

"Wow, Nudge. She looks great. And... different." Nudge smiled widely at me, her arms crossed confidently.

"Angel, you'll just have to remember to act like you're four." She nodded and Nudge gestured me over to the rock.

"Come on, Max. You're next." I approached the seat with caution.

"It's okay, Max. We're supposed to look different. And you won't look bad. I promise." I smiled at her, though I still sat down slowly. It was good for us to look different, but I felt like I lost my identity every time we changed our appearance.

"I'm all right, Nudge." She picked up a strand of hair and made the first cut. I sat in wait for the end result


	7. Chapter 7

"Wow. You look so old, Max. Like twenty-something. Late twenty-something." Angel was staring at me in awe. Nudge was examining her work critically and beaming at Angel.

"The makeup will make her look older. She'll be pretending to be our mom. Fang'll be the dad. I got the idea when I was talking to Fang. Angel seemed to know what conversation she was talking about, so I assumed it was when I'd scouted ahead.

"What was the conversation about?" I asked.

"I asked Fang if he was gonna be like our dad now that he's dating you because you're like our mom." It was scary how similar Nudge's sentence and the Voice's statement were.

What about you and Iggy? They'll notice the different skin color and Ig's the same age as us."

"You adopted us. I'll make Iggy look younger and maybe dye his hair so it won't be so noticeable. If anyone asks you just say you really care about the orphans of the world." I rolled my eyes.

"Can I see?" I asked. Angel handed me the mirror she'd been admiring herself in and I looked in it. I really did look older. Something about the hair cut made my experience-wearied face shine over my natural youth. My past showed on my face in wrinkles at my eyes and an almost permanent crinkle between my brows. All Nudge's haircut had done was emphasize those features and several other minuscule things that I couldn't describe. It was disorienting, Like seeing myself ten or fifteen years from now. If I lived that long.

"Looks great, Nudge," I said, setting the mirror face down on the ground. I didn't want to see the new look more than I had to. She smiled, though seemed disappointed at my lack of enthusiasm. I stood up and hugged her.

"Thank you honey. I don't know what we'd do without you here. Probably have to hunt rabbits and squirrels with the hawks because we couldn't go in a restaurant." She smiled at me.

"Now how are you gonna do your hair?"

"I'm leaving it for now. I'll mess with it in the hotel."

"What are you planning?"

"I'll bore you," she said. Very un-Nudge-like behavior. I hugged her again.

"No you won't."

"Okay then. I'm gonna straighten it, and then put it in a lot of little braids with beads in them. It'll look amazing and it makes my hair look longer." She continued going on about how it would emphasize this, or highlight that feature and what in the end it would accomplish. I listened, fearing how long it was going to take to tame her wild hair and then braid it.

She finished her monologue with, "Will you help me?"

"Yes sweetheart." She grinned and then the guys came back. They looked and smelled much better. Angel and I smiled at them and their jaws dropped. Angel giggled and Nudge looked very, very smug.

"You guys look.... way different," Gazzy said. Iggy of course had no idea what they were talking about.

"Totally," Iggy joked. "I can't even recognize you." I rolled my eyes and then remembered he couldn't see them.

"I'm rolling my eyes, Ig." He chuckled and navigated his way to his backpack and sleeping area.

"You look like her mother," Fang said.

"That's the idea." Nudge bowed, several times, grinning widely.

"Thank you, thank you. Now it's your turn." She looked at the guys with a gleam in her eye.

"Why don't we go clean up first, Nudge. You can cut their hair when we get back. I'm tired of having sniper gore in my hair. Nudge looked at her hands, nose crinkled. Only Fang and I had rolled in the blood and guts, due to our fall and we hadn't found any way to wash it out until now.

"I completely forgot about that. That could change the whole look." Nudge looked upset and was staring at my head.

"It's all right, Nudge. You're a fashion genius. If washing out the guts changes the cut I know you can fix it." She smiled, looking uncertain, but nodded. They grabbed some clothes and we headed out.

"Look alive guys," I called over my shoulder. "You better be awake when we get back. Nudge needs to do your hair and no matter how good she is, she won't be able to make it look good if she has to cut it while you're lying down." I heard agreeable noises from all three of them and watched Nudge and Angel run to the water. I followed them into the water and had to repress a moan of relief. The water felt great and cool in the Texan heat and the salt helped wash away the mess. I kept my clothes on at first, letting the waves wash them.

Angel was diving under the water for immeasurable amounts of time that scared me. I new she could breath underwater, but I was on tense alert until I saw her come back up. Suddenly Nudge squealed and I opened my eyes, finding Angel above water and no Flyboys nearby.

"What's wrong, Nudge?"

"Nothing! I bet I could make buried treasure come to me!" Her face was lit up and then it furrowed in concentration. Her hand hovered on top of the water and I watched with fascination and several coins and a fish hook flew up from the ocean floor to her hand.

"Watch out!" But it was too late. The hook caught in her skin and Nudge cried out in surprise in pain. I waded to her and examined where the hook pierced her hand. It was in deep.

"Hold still, Nudge. I need to get this out of you." She nodded and I felt her arm stiffen in my hands. She stood with gritted teeth as I eased it out, careful to make sure that the barbed end didn't catch inside her skin. Blood welled to the top of the wound and Nudge sucked on her hand.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Maybe you shouldn't try that anymore. I don't want to keep pulling hooks out of you." She nodded again.

"Good. I'm gonna go take these clothes off so they can dry. Watch Angel for me."

"Okay, Max. Make sure the guys can't see you." I smiled and pointed at a rock a few feet out from where we were.

"I'll just put them on that." I swam to the rock and peeled off my wet, still bloody clothes. I felt my nose crinkle at them as I rubbed my shirt and pants against each other to try and get off the dried blood. The girls were already naked. After removing as much dried blood as I could, I spread my clothes out on the rock and swam, making sure to soak and scrub at my hair with my fingernails. There was a time where if we had shampoo or soap, we wouldn't have hesitated at using them in the ocean or lake or river, but since we'd worked with a team in Antarctica and learned about global warning, we were suddenly very careful with our trash and chemicals.

When I felt clean, I just watched my girls playing, laughing and squealing with excitement. Nudge may be growing up and Angel may be changing into the scariest little six-year-old I'd ever met, but they were still young at heart and it felt good to see them happy and free, if only for a short time.

"Max?"

"Yeah, Angel?"

"We should go back now. The guys are falling asleep standing. I smiled, imagining them trying their hardest to stay awake because of my warning.

"All right. Let's go back." Nudge and Angel headed for the beach while I grabbed my clothes off the rock. They were still damp, but the blood was mostly gone. We reached the beach and dried off with a spare blanket Nudge had thought to bring before dressing in the clean clothes and heading back. I was watching and listening for anyone watching us naked on the beach, but we were out of sight of the cave and Angel would tell us if she heard anyone's thoughts. Still, for some reason I suddenly felt on edge, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and my fists clenching.

"Angel, is there anyone nearby?" I whispered.

"No. Fang's asking me to talk to you though."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. He says- Oops. He wants me to think it at you." A moment later I felt Angel in my head.

_He says 'Do you feel it?"_

_Tell him I said yeah._ A pause and then Angel thought at me again, saying only Fang's words

'_Do you see anything?'_

_No. Something's definitely up though._

'_Yeah. Are you on your way back?'_

_Yes. We'll be there in a minute or two._

'_Be careful.' _Then Angel pulled out of my mind and my secondary conversation with Fang was ended.


	8. Chapter 8

I heard a horrible growling noise and for one second, I thought Ari was back, alive and evil again. Then I came to my senses and searched for the source of the noise. To my left and a little ahead, there was a patch of beach plant that was thrashing from something moving inside it. We turned to face the movement, all of us tense. Then it came racing out of the bush.

It was a dog. I started to relax, but Angel screamed and shot into the air. What was wrong. A second glance revealed rolling eyes and a foaming mouth. The dog was rabid and headed straight for Nudge.

"Nudge. Up and away," I called. She jumped up and snapped out her wings for more altitude. I waited until she was in the air and out of range before launching up myself. The dog was almost on me when I finally took off, and I had to land a good kick on it's head as I leaped so that it wouldn't bite me. My kick knocked it unconscious. I heard wings and looked up to see my guys approaching.

"Everything okay? I heard Angel scream and..." Fang was looking frantically around for some bad guys to fight.

"We're fine. It was just a rabid dog." I waved at the limp animal below me. "It's knocked out right now." He sighed and landed by the creature. If I didn't know any better I might've said he had been worried about us. I jumped when he slammed his foot on the dog's head, completely crushing the skull.

"Fang! What are you doing?" I swooped down and landed next to him.

"It's rabid Max. If it wakes up while we're still here one of us could get bit and get rabies." I glanced down at the dog's smashed head and shuddered.

"You're right, but that doesn't mean I like it." He hugged me then jumped back in the air.

"Let's go get haircuts guys." My flock immediately followed him, but I stayed on the ground.

"I'm gonna move the body so no one sees it and gets suspicious," I called. They nodded and kept flying. I set about the gruesome task and soon even the blood on the sand was sufficiently hidden. I surveyed my handiwork and checked to make sure I hadn't gotten any blood on me so soon after washing. It took a while to do everything so that by the time I flew back, all three guys had gotten their haircuts and everyone besides Fang was asleep. He was the only one that ever stayed up later than me.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I just can't get over how you killed that poor dog so easily."

"It was us or it, Max. And the disease would've killed it anyway. Just much slower and more painful." We were sitting outside the cave again, whispering so we wouldn't wake the flock.

"Hmm... Well then if you ended it's suffering, I guess that's okay." He quirked his lips at me and scooted closer, pulling something out of his pocket.

"Did you take these?" he asked. It was the camera. He held it so that I had to lean in to see the pictures. They were the ones of Nudge and Angel.

"Yeah. Why didn't you tell me you had a camera? There are so many pictures we could've taken."

"Because, you're camera-shy. I wanted to get pictures of you too, Max and I never would've been able to if you knew about it."

"Well you're certainly not getting any now."

"See?" I thought about it and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so. I saw all the pictures you got because I didn't know about it. Why'd you take so many of me? You should've gotten more of the flock." He sighed and sat straight again, looking through the pictures on his own. I leaned back on my hands, but kept my gaze on his shoulder.

"Well?" I pushed.

"Hold on. I'm trying to find something." I turned to look at the flock and waited, though patience was not one of my best qualities. Finally he handed the camera to me. I took it and sat up. It was a picture I hadn't gotten to because Nudge called me for my haircut. It was of me. A really good picture. I was smiling with that motherly pride you see in some people, watching the flock talk and eat. It had them in the picture, but I was right up front.

"That's why. It took me four weeks to get that picture. Every time we ate, I saw that look on your face and I thought, 'That would be an awesome picture'. You're beautiful, Max. And you care about the flock more than anything. You could even say you're photogenic." I stared at the picture and felt tears press against the back of my eyes.

"You have about a million expressions like that. I try again and again to get a picture and it takes me weeks or even months to get just one. Then I keep forgetting to delete the ones that aren't quite it." He smiled at me, a full, heart-warming smile and I returned it.

"The flock are more beautiful than me, Fang. They're kids and they're trying so hard to be grown up and brave through all of this, but I still see them as my babies. Especially when Angel shows me a new shell she's found or when Iggy trusts us implicitly to lead him the right way." I glanced back at them, feeling love and worry almost overwhelm me. Then Fang lifted the camera and snapped a picture.

"There it is. I've been trying to get that one since that time in the School when they told us it was all simulated." I stared at him, open-mouthed and he turned the camera so I could see the picture on the screen. There I was, all the love and worry of a few moments before shining from my face.

"I need to practice my poker face, I think." He laughed and turned the camera off, setting it on the ground. He was staring at me with those soulful brown eyes of his again.

"Are you still scared?" he asked.

"No." My answer was short and clipped.

"No?"

"Actually I can't really think of anything right now. You're distracting me." He shot me a smug smile and bent for a kiss. I looped my arms around his neck and reminded myself constantly to breathe through my nose. Fang's hands flattened against my back just under where my wings and back joined, holding me closer to him. I really did love him. I would die if anything happened to him. It was just as simple as that. I pulled away and he moved his lips to my neck, pressed gently against the big vein there.

"I love you," I whispered, "Don't ever leave me, or get hurt, or get killed, okay?" I felt his lips quirk against my neck.

"No Valium this time?" I pushed him away, angry and took off into the sky.

"I'm doing a flight perimeter check," I snarled. He looked surprised as I flung myself higher, going into warp speed. I should've added 'or mess with my heart' to the end of that list


	9. Chapter 9

I soared over the forest and ocean, my eyes roving for approaching bad guys. Fang had tried to follow me, but as soon as I reached warp, he'd disappeared far behind me. I would have to deal with him later, but right now I was too angry. How could possibly have said something like that after my admission? I pushed the thoughts away and scanned the ground. Best if I didn't even think about it. I flew lower as I neared the town closest to our hideout, looking for a cheap, but somewhat decent hotel for us to go to the next morning. I was surprised to see a dark-winged Fang sitting on one of the roofs in the town. I swooped down, landing as softly as I could.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, "You're gonna be seen."

"I knew you'd be looking for a hotel, so I came ahead and found one. Look, I'm really sorry for what I said. That was stupid. A very, very stupid move. I shouldn't have said it." I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Okay. You were stupid. Is that all? Or can I go now so you can take watch?" He sighed and stepped closer, remorse smothering his eyes and in turn, mine.

"No. I already promised you I'd never leave you again, but I'll add getting hurt and getting killed to that promise. I'm so, so sorry, Max." He stepped even closer and put his hands on my shoulders, placing his forehead in the crook of my neck when I looked away, fighting the tears. His arms slid around my shoulders and to my back, wrapping me in his embrace.

"I'm scared Max. I'm scared that you'll get mad at me and leave me or that you'll get hurt, or killed, or that this is all a dream or a joke you're playing on me." Fang's voice was full of the fear he spoke of, and my arms automatically wrapped him in a hug, turning my head so that my lips pressed against his newly short hair. It was almost a crew cut, it was so short, making him look much older the way Nudge said he would.

"Shh... Shh. I won't. This is for real. It's not a joke or prank and I'll do my best to stay alive, though I can't guarantee I won't get hurt. I'm sorry." It was weird comforting him after being so mad, but that was just how I was.

"Really?" His lips brushed my neck as he spoke and I felt chills.

"Really. I meant what I said back there. That's why it hurt so much when you said that about Valium." He put his forehead against mine and stroked my back.

"I know," he sighed, "I- I love you, Max." I felt joy flood through me and spread across my face in a huge smile. He pulled away and studied my face.

"I love you too," I said. He grinned and brought our lips together. Oh God. Kissing Fang was like... perfect. I loved him so much. And he loved me! The thought made me deepen the kiss, and let my mouth open slowly allowing his tongue entrance.

_See Max? Now that all that's out of the way you can get on with your mission._

_Butt out, Voice. I'll save the world later._

_Then at least get off the hotel roof if you're going to keep kissing._ The Voice made me realize where we were and pull away.

"What?" Fang asked. His face was entirely open to me now. No more blank faces and hidden expressions. I could see the fear and possible hurt in his expression.

"We're on a hotel roof, Fang. We can't stay here."

"Oh, right." I smiled and leapt into the air. I watched confusion on his face as I disappeared out of his arms. Then he looked up and grinned.

"Hey," he called. I laughed and soared away, listening to his wing beats as he caught up with me.

Omega 2.0 watched the two bird kids wing through the sky, laughing and newly in love. Maximum seemed weightless as she dived and wove around the dark-winged boy. She was his target for the demonstration, but the longer he watched and observed, looking for patterns, mistakes, the more that flame in his gut died, a new one igniting for different reasons. Luckily, they hadn't put emotion detectors in him. Or a thought radio.

He wished she wasn't so beautiful. It would make his task easier. Once programmed to do something, he must do it all costs and in whatever way possible. Kill Maximum Ride. Those three words played through his head over and over again, just under his own conscious thoughts. He envied the boy Max's gaze, her love, and her attentions.

A new thought lit up his head. If Maximum truly loved that boy, it would kill her if he died. Omega 2.0 felt a smile spread over his face as he considered the possibilities. It would... what was that phrase the men in white always said? It would kill two birds with one stone. He chuckled darkly at the unintended pun and watched both of them land just outside the cave they were sleeping in. All he had to do was figure out how much that boy meant to her. With Max's revealing face, it would be easy as... cake? Or was it pie? Omega 2.0 shook his head. It didn't matter which was correct. It would just quite simply be easy.


	10. Chapter 10

The clerk behind the desk seemed bored as he greeted us.

"Welcome to Hotel Eight. How may I help you?" I was a ball of nerves as we approached the counter. Fang had his arm thrown casually over my shoulders and Angel was gripping my free hand. Iggy, Nudge, and the Gasman were following behind. I felt Angel purposely stop and gaze with interest at the fish tank. Just like a four-year-old might. I stopped to 'reprimand' her and Iggy stepped forward.

"I've got her, Mom." I smiled at him though it was lost on Iggy.

"Thank you, dear." I made my voice grateful. Angel went with Iggy , then pretended to have a fight with Gazzy. I was praying that the clerk bought it.

"Stop it you two," I said, pushing exasperation into my tone. Fang sent a calming look my way and I smiled. The clerk watched with amusement.

"They all yours?" His eyes lingered on Iggy and Nudge.

"We adopted a couple times." The man flashed a smile at me.

"Will you be staying with us tonight?"

"Yes. Can we have one room? A double?" We were using the Max Ride card for the first time since New York and none of us knew how much was left on it.

"Make that two doubles," Fang said. "There's too many of us to share one shower." My surprised face wasn't faked.

"Oh. I didn't even think of that."

"And that's why I'm here." I put on a playful face and smacked his arm lightly.

"Since when do men have brains?" I teased, then turned to the clerk and added, "No offense." He smiled and shook his head dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. I'm always outsmarted by my wife." I laughed, wishing it was over already.

"Mommy, look what I found," Angel said. I turned to her and looked at her cupped hands. Inside there was a very large grasshopper.

"There's a whole ton of them outside. Come on!" She grabbed my hand and started pulling. I look at Fang.

"I'll pay. Go play with the grasshoppers." I siled and pecked him on the cheek before turning to the desk.

"Do you mind giving us the room keys and numbers? I don't think they'll wait much longer." The clerk smiled and pulled out two different cards.

"Two oh seven and two oh eight. Just slide these and wait for the green light." I thanks him, took the cards, kissed Fang on the lips this time, and let Angel drag me out of the main lobby. So far, everything was going according to plan.

"See you up there, hon'!" I called, just before Angel had me all the way out the door. I hated leaving Fang behind, all alone in an enclosed space, but this was the best we could come up with. We headed to the rooms, upstairs. I was relieved to see that the doors opened outside the building.

"Girls two oh seven, Guys in two oh eight." I said, handing Gazzy the room card. I scanned the card and opened the door. Nudge, Angel, and Total darted into the room. We had left him outside, afraid that they wouldn't allow dogs. I paced around the room, gnawing at my thumbnail. What was taking him so long. The guys came into our room.

"You got two doubles right?" Iggy asked.

"Yeah."

"Then why is our room a single?" I looked at them in surprise.

"Because the clerk upgraded us to the honeymoon suite." I looked back at the door. Fang was in the doorway, leaning on the frame with arms crossed. I let out a silent breath of relief and smiled at him.

"Why?" I asked.

"He said that it seems we don't get enough alone time with four kids to watch after. He's paying for the extra cost." My mouth dropped open and Iggy crowed with laughter.

"Well, then the girls are getting the suite," Nudge declared. "The guys wouldn't like sleeping in the same bed anyway."

"No, but I'm sure Fang and Max would," Iggy gasped. I scowled at him, but managed to keep my wings tucked in, even though what I most wanted to do was knock him over with one. The door was still open.

"He also said the breakfast bar is still open downstairs and that the best Mexican restaurant in the area is two blocks up and eight over. Fang set his backpack by the door, strolled in and sat down on the bed closest to the door next to Angel. I closed the door and started pacing again, nearly knocking Iggy over several times.

"Nudge how fast can you finish our make overs?" I asked.

"In an hour or two. Why?" I ignored her and let thoughts whirl through my brain. I didn't like it. No one was that nice. The honeymoon suite probably cost a lot of moolah, certainly a lot more than just a regular double. Why would a man do that for strangers? It just didn't add up.

"Okay, get started. We're not staying here tonight. Or at least not in two oh eight. I don't trust this." Paranoia? Me? Nah.

"Max. Max. Max!" Fang called my name and eventually stepped in my path when I continued ignoring him. I looked up, surprised.

"Calm down, Max. People can be nice. It's what makes them human. If you're really worried we can go in there and check for traps, okay?" I looked around at the others. Their expressions ranged from very worried to very amused. I couldn't lose any of them.

"No one's that nice, Fang. Or have you forgotten all that's happened to us our entire life?" I pulled away from him and sat down on the bed. Angel wiggled into my lap and I wrapped my arms around her.

"Have _you_ forgotten? What about Ella? Mom? Jeb? The team we worked with in Antarctica? Then there was all those kids all around the world that helped us defeat the School. And Ari even turned out to be nice there for a while." I flinched at Ari's name and buried my head and in Angels' short hair, feeling ashamed. He was right.

"You're right," I whispered. "Sorry. I'm just... paranoid or something." Angel turned and put her arms around my neck.

"We're nice too, right Max?" she asked.

"Of course, honey. We're the good guys aren't we?" She smiled at me and I gave her a small, sad smile in return.

"Nudge? Will you start dying everyone's hair please? I want us to be ready when we go to the restaurant."

"Okay, Max. Angel. You first." Angel kissed my cheek and slid off my lap to follow Nudge to the bathroom. I avoided Fang's eyes as I stood up and headed out the door.

"I'm going to check two oh eight. It still doesn't hurt to be careful." Before anyone could protest or insist on coming I closed the door behind me and went into the room next door, locking it behind me. A dumb move if someone really was planning on hurting me, but I wanted privacy and the guys had already been in here and returned untouched. I did a quick survey, checking the bathroom for intruders and watching for listening devices or hidden cameras. Nothing. When I felt safe enough to do so, I leaned my back against the door and slid down it to the floor, the first of many tears already making their way down my face.


	11. Chapter 11

It took him less than a minute to come knock on the door. I wiped my face and tried to generate anger, but none came. I was just exhausted.

"Max?" I could tell Fang was leaning on the doorframe by the sound of cloth on wood

"I know you're mad, bu-"

"I'm not mad, Fang. Just… tired or something." My voice came out a soft sigh.

"You're not? Then why are you crying?" _We're nice too, right Max?_ I shuddered, thinking about it. My poor baby.

"Max?" Fang called. I sighed, slid out of the way of the door and reached up to undo the lock. Almost before my hand was safely out of the way, the door was open and Fang was squatting beside me.

"I think we need a vacation. This is getting too hard on all of us," he said, once again proving how well he knew me.

"Mission first, remember? I gotta save the world."

"That can wait. It has so far, hasn't it?" I studied him. Total had been asking for ages to go back to France and it was obvious that my job was weighing on the others. They needed a break, but I couldn't leave the mission. It was like something I had to do, like using the bathroom. I gazed at Fang, hating what I was about to say.

"You go. Take the others with you. I have to keep going, but I won't force you guys to go with me."

_You just passed the test you came here for._

_What?_ The Voice was back.

_You had to prove you would stay with the mission, even when it hurt you._

_That's pretty dumb._ Then a blood-chilling thought passed my mind.

_What's this in preparation for?_

_Nothing yet. Go ahead and take that vacation. There's nothing for you to do right now._

_Voice…_ I thought, trying to sound commanding, but it was gone. I returned my attention to Fang.

"We can't leave you! Nothing would get done. We'd all be worrying about you and I promised I'd never leave you. I can't go back on my promise."

"Of course you can't leave me. I know where we're going for vacation and you don't." I grinned at him, pushing away my fears. I would deal with them when I had tie and privacy. Iggy whooped in the next room and I smiled. Fang quirked his lips.

"We're going on vacation!"

"Hold still Angel or I'm going to get this gunk on your skin! There all done. C'mere Gazzy." I stood up and started for two-oh-seven. Fang grabbed my arm.

"What about your mission?" he whispered.

"That was a test. The Voice says we can chill out for a while now."

"Hmm…" He fell back into one of his quiet moods. Total did one his is super, mutant-dog jumps into my arms, his tail going wild, as soon as I was back in two-oh-seven.

"Where are we going?" he asked. I waited for inspiration from the Voice. It didn't disappoint.

_Greece_

_Any particular reason why?_ The Voice was quiet. I humphed silently and looked around the room at my flock and their eager faces. Angel's hair was a brown almost the same shade as mine and plastered to her head by thick goopy stuff. The Gasman and Nudge were working on putting more of the same in his hair. I smiled at his disgruntled face.

"Well?" Iggy prompted.

"Greece. We're vacationing in Greece."


	12. Chapter 12

Omega 2.0 sat outside the hotel with a blindfold on. He didn't want the buyers to see how negligently he watched the flock, with eyes only for Max. Though she was his target, they would think him malfunctioning if he didn't watch for all potential dangers. With the blindfold, they would just think him in his tent, sleeping.

"Greece. We're vacationing in Greece." Omega 2.0 memorized her voice, the inflections in her words. Greece. Not five minutes ago she had been crying and now… she sounded happy. Three times since he'd been watching them, the boy had upset her. And judging from the conversations, he had done so in the past as well. How could she even love him?

Omega 2.0 sighed. They had told him to wait three days before killing her to make sure all the bidders got a chance to see. He would have to kill her that night or the next day. They should've told him to do it as quick as he could. That was almost instantaneous and then he wouldn't have fallen in love with her. But now it was too late. If they already had the distant exploder installed, he would be killed as soon as they realized his intentions. That was all right. A long as he got to save Max and kill that boy. Then his death would be welcome.

Omega 2.0 sighed, listening to their plans for vacation. Max loved all of the flock. He could hear it in her voice when she spoke. He would die for this Maximum Ride. And that thought was all he needed to go to sleep for real.

The woman growled watching Omega 2.0's camera. She could see only darkness. He had been built to last _months_ without sleep or food. Why was he sleeping now, only three days after a full charge? Something was wrong. She had half a mind to call him back and see what the problem was, but that would alert the buyers. Already the bid was at 6.3 million and the receptionists were constantly getting calls. A clerk with the half-hour update approached.

"Well?" she asked.

"7.2 mil. And the bids are slowing. We haven't heard from more than one-fourth of the buyers since the last update."

"Hmm…" This was not good news.

"Perhaps you should contact Omega 2.0 and bring him home for a checkup. His energy levels are a record low and he's only been going three days-" The woman's hand flew, wrapping around the clerk's throat.

"Do NOT tell me how to do my job. If we pull Omega 2.0 back now, we will lose every bidder." Her hand tightened and the clerk's face turned red.

"Or would you like to pay the price for him Mr. Saltoni? You're not paid enough to buy him with money, so I will have to be something else." Saltoni's eyes rolled as the woman squeezed harder, long manicured nails sending rivulets of blood down his neck. Then she let go. He fell, gasping.

"N-no ma'am. I. I understand."

"Good. Now get out of my sight." She stumbled away and she turned back to the large computer screen with disgust. What was draining Omega 2.0?


	13. Chapter 13

Love. God, I loved the flock and that made me weak to their puppy-dog eyes and puckered-up lips even with the darker hair framing their faces. After Nudge's touch, Iggy was black-haired while Angel and Gazzy had a brown almost the same shade as mine. They looked like twins. Nudge, with _much_ help, had wrestled her hair into many small braids of straight hair with beads artfully woven in.

"Please Max? The Mexican restaurant's only a little bit away. And you _said_ we could after our makeovers," Angel pleaded.

"I said that we would _see_. Don't go putting words in my mouth… or in my mind." Angel giggled.

"But we look _way_ different now," Nudge argued. I sighed and looked around at my flock. I couldn't argue with that.

"All right. But we're on high alert. Don't forget that sniper."

"We're supposed to be on vacation, Max. Don't forget that either," Fag said. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Let's go," I said, "It's almost lunchtime anyway." They cheered and we headed out. Fang looped his arm in mine and we pretended to stroll down the street with our "kids" playing on the sidewalk in front of us.

"This is so weird," I whispered. Fang gave me the slightest nod and did an automatic 360. Iggy heard me and laughed. My eyes swiveled in my head, trying to see if anyone suspected something because of Iggy's seemingly random laugh.

"Relax, Max," Fang whispered.

"I can't. And I can't stop thinking that this was a stupid idea and that man who gave us the suite is really a whitecoat and will be waiting back in the room with a dozen more ready to capture us."

"But I thought the Voice said the whitecoats weren't after us anymore."

"Did you really believe that?" I asked. He stared at me blankly. "Besides, they might already be done with their new project. They're nothing if not efficient."

_You need to learn to relax, Maximum. Haven't I always told you that?_

_Yes, but I never listened, now did I?_

_No, I guess not_ the Voice sighed.

_What is all this for anyway? Taking a vacation and relaxing can't be part of my training, can it?_

_All work and no play makes Maximum Ride a very tired bird kid._ I let out a startled laugh and the flock glanced at me in alarm. I patted Fang's arm and pretended he was the one who had just told a joke. They went back to their acts, but watched me carefully.

_You made a joke_ I thought, surprised.

_People make jokes from time to time._

_Not you people. And I'm not even sure you're a people. Who are you Voice?_ Silence in my mind. It seemed like it would be a relief, but it wasn't.

"We're here," Fang whispered. I blinked and looked around. We were standing in front of a medium-sized building with a sign proclaiming it Juan's Restaurant. Fang held the door open for all of us and followed behind, being the perfect gentleman, husband, and father. Nudge started going on, listing all the foods she wanted to try. I was relieved to see a Dogs Allowed sign inside the lobby.

"Looks like you can come in with us Toto," I said. Total, gave a small yip in response. Too many people knew our real names so fake names were a must. I was Mel short for Melanie, Fang was Nick again, Iggy was Joseph, Nudge was Talia Kristen Marie (don't ask), Gazzy was Tom, Angel was Angela, and Total was Toto. Only Angel, Total and I had been practical.

"Welcome to Juan's Restaurant. How many will it be?" said a waiter, with a strong Spanish accent. I had to do a mental headcount, but Fang answered first.

"Seven. Two adults, four children, and a dog." The waiter nodded, smiled at the "kids" and Total, then asked us to follow him. I was jumpy as hell as he led us further into the building. I didn't like the enclosed space, the loud, gaudy noise and decorations, or that this restaurant had been recommended by the same man who had given us the suite out of "kindness".

"Here you are. You're server will be with you shortly. For now, what can I get you to drink?" For such a heavily accented voice, he sure knew the language well. Maybe a whitecoat pretending for our benefit? Nah. At least, I hoped not.


	14. Chapter 14

"What is he doing?" the woman snarled. On screen, she saw the recombinant DNA experiments, strolling down the street, almost as if they didn't have a care in the world and Omega 2.0 was just sitting there. Every single bidder had turned on their computers to watch Omega 2.0 complete his mission and nothing was happening. Her people were rushing around looking like they were doing something, but she knew it was all show.

"If someone doesn't do _something_ to get that lazy sack of metal moving, the next person who upsets me will be killed! Can't any of you idiots do anything?" The speed of movement intensified while Omega 2.0 was still sitting absently on a bench watching his target stroll by completely unconcerned or covered.

"Get me online with him!" she called and a woman ran forward with a headset in her hands.

"Here ma'am," she mumbled.

"Leave!" The woman gave her the headset and scurried away.

"Omega 2.0. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, mistress."

"What are you doing?"

"Sitting, mistress."

"Aren't you going to kill the target?" she yelled, "She's right in front of you!"

"I will destroy her, mistress."

"Then do it already. Everyone's watching and waiting to see you in action."

"I cannot, mistress. My energy is almost gone. You did not wish me home when I still had energy to get there, so now I must gather solar energy, mistress. I cannot even stand." The woman looked at the screen. Omega 2.0's energy was almost gone.

"What's draining you? You were made to last _months_."

"I do not know, mistress." The woman growled to herself. Something was wrong with Omega 2.0 and although she had created him, he was an object for sale first and foremost. Though she would never admit it out loud, someone over her head was calling the shots and that person demanded they not do anything to interfere with the mission or deflect the bids.

"Rest then, Omega 2.0. I will be sending ErasorBots to charge you on field. Do not attempt anything until they have arrived and you are fully recovered."

"Yes, mistress." The woman ended the call and studied the energy levels. It would take hours, maybe even days for Omega 2.0's energy to fully recover from solar power. Hopefully she could get the EraserBots to him fast enough to please her boss.

"Send out four EraserBots. Equip them with two energy tanks each and Omega 2.0's portable charger. ASAP!" The people around her snapped to and she had to resist the urge to crinkle her nose in disgust, when several different squares popped up on the giant screen, the head and torso of a bidder seen in each of them. Time to be reserved and diplomatic. She put on her public face and smiled genially at the bidders. If only she could keep Omega 2.0 to herself and her company.

The waiter looked at us in surprise and growing doubt as each of the flock ordered mass amounts of Mexican food. He was already on his third order sheet and only three of us had spoken so far. He kept glancing at me and Fang as if expecting us to say something about how much our "kids" were ordering, but I just shrugged and waved for him to pay attention to them.

"And for the dog?" he asked. I let Angel choose for Total, her mind reading coming in very helpful for keeping him happy.

"Is that all?" he asked, almost sarcastically.

"Yeah. And could we get refills please?" Fang asked.

"Of course." This was the fourth time we'd asked. The man left, looking harassed and Total let out a small laugh. I glared at him for sounding human around witnesses. He had the decency to look sheepish.

"Remember, up and away if anything goes wrong," I whispered, far below human hearing.

"Nothing's going to happen, Mel," Fang sighed. "Relax." And nothing did. Our food was served in courses so it would fit on the table, the Max Ride card paid in full without problems and my whole flock left happy and full, even me. Walking home like a relaxed, happy family was almost easy. And when I laughed while chasing the younger ones up the sidewalk, I wasn't even pretending.


	15. Chapter 15

"Excuse me. Do you think you could help me? I don't think I have the strength to stand up and I am not sure how the nights are here." I stopped, maternal instinct already threatening to take over. What was wrong with me? Didn't I know better than to take in strangers when we were on the run? I turned slowly to face the boy on the bench who had spoken with a smile on my face.

"I'm sorry, but we can-"

"Please?" I studied the boy's face, noticing the feeling you get when you seem someone you recognize, but haven't seen in years, or only saw a few times. He looked so earnest.

"Do I know you?" I asked. Fang approached me from behind and slid his arms around my waist, what was a seemingly romantic gesture, but was really to throw me up in the air at the first sign of trouble. This seemed to upset the boy for some reason. I keep calling him boy because I was really getting into my role as "mother and wife" but really he was about Fang's or Iggy's or my age. He also really didn't seem able to get up, all his limbs lifeless on the bench and dark circles under his eyes.

"No," the boy answered, almost wistfully. What was up with this kid?

"What's your name?" He hesitated before answering. This made me stand straighter in Fang's arms, more suspicious than before.

"Omen," he replied with just a slight laugh in his voice.

"Omen?" I repeated, skeptically. Now he was really starting to freak me out. I backed up slightly and Fang moved with me. _Omen_ watched us, looking both hurt and angry.

"I'm sorry, Omen, but we really have to go. Maybe there's someone you can call…" I trailed off. Most people in the real world had someone to call, right? But what if he wasn't from the real world?

"No. No one to call. I'm- I'm a bit of a runaway." His voice was tinted with laughter yet again, though this laugh leaned more toward bitter than an inside joke. The maternal thing rose up again and I stepped forward, away from Fang, crouching in front of Omen.

"Okay then, Omen. We'll help you."

"Mel, can't we at least talk about this first?" Fang growled. I looked back at him and realized that bringing Omen along would jeopardize my flock. I nodded and patted Omen's knee.

"Hold on a minute, O. We're kinda headed somewhere really important and it would be hard for us to take you with us." He nodded at me and I stood up to walk a slight distance away with Fang. The others joined us and participated heartily in the following argument.

Omega 2.0 watched the flock which was only standing a few feet away from him, not nearly far enough that he couldn't hear their disagreement. He _had_ to join with them. The ErasorBots wouldn't dare approach him with charger and "batteries" so close to the target. They would be ordered to stay away for fear of rousing the flock's suspicions. And he would have many, many chances to win Max over and kill Fang. If only he could gather enough energy to do anything. His love for Maximum was draining him quite unlike any of the rigorous training and tests he had been forced through back at the laboratory.  
The argument was now leaning away from whether or not they would bring him to what they would do to make sure he got help while they went to Greece. Things were not going Omega 2.0's way. He had to do something and soon, but what? He was just about to take a big risk in telling them some of what he knew, when Max suddenly broke away from the group and walked over to him, a determined and defiant look on her face. Even after only three days, Omega 2.0 knew that look. She was going to bring him, whether the flock liked it or not. He had to suppress the smile he felt spreading across his face as she approached.

"You have no family or friends here?" I asked. I could almost everyone's eyes boring into my backs. Except for Angel, who seemed to know something about him she wasn't sharing, and Gazzy who followed Angel's decisions every time, they were all mad at me.

"No," he sighed. "No one and nothing."

"Do you have anything you want to get from somewhere? Any clothes or luggage or something?"

"No."

"And the last question of all, would you mind leaving the country and continent with us? If we take you with us we can't let you go when you have all your energy back. You'll be stuck with us and everything that being with our… family entails." I was sure the kid would be freaking out by now, watching us with wary eyes and suddenly afraid to answer with an 'okay', but he just looked around at us and smiled a small smile.

"I'm with you always," he said for an answer. I felt chills down my spine and somehow knew that answer was directed only at me.

"All right then," I replied, "We'll do more introductions later. For now, let's just get you to the hotel." He nodded and I waved Iggy over to help me lift Omen off the bench. Something told me Fang would 'drop' him just a little too often for my tastes. Iggy took Omen's right arm around his should I his left. In this way, we walked back to the hotel with Fang glowering behind, Nudge chatting Omen up, and Angel and Gazzy up front with heads close together collaborating over something she had heard from the boy. We eventually made it back to the hotel and everyone collapsed on the beds, exhausted from the large meal and whatever had tired Omen out. I would worry about him possibly being a bad guy when he woke up, and if I didn't, then what did it matter?


	16. Chapter 16

"Good morning, Max." I jumped and stared up at Fang who was standing over my bed as I woke.

"Fang! You were supposed to wake me up for second watch!" I whisper-yelled. Nudge, Angel, and Total were still sleeping.

"I know. But I didn't think you would watch your back as well as your front. I don't trust Omen."

"I figured that one out yesterday. How'd you get in here? I thought we had the only keys." I sat up and threw the covers off, careful not to disturb the girls or Total who were lying in the king-sized bed with me. He stood back, so I could stand up and stretch.

"You didn't close the door all the way when you came in last night."

"What!" I screeched, and then slapped my hand over my mouth when Nudge turned over and mumbled something in her sleep. We watched silently until she settled down again.

"Let's talk outside," I whispered. Fang nodded and I followed him out the door onto the balcony. I looked over the railing at the parking lot.

"We don't have a car," I said, "That's not normal for a traveling family." I was leaning halfway over the railing, trying to count the cars and figure out how many people there might be at the hotel. I almost fell over it when Fang came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Neither is having two adults who dress like kids pick up another kid. How are we gonna bring Omen with us? He can't fly unless there's something he hasn't told us yet, and he hasn't told us anything yet."

"Are you really tired or something?" I asked, "You're talking… a lot and you're _hugging_ me." Fang sighed and rested his forehead on my shoulder, still at my back.

"I guess I am. It's not like you to risk the flock and it worries me that you are." For one moment I let myself relax against Fang's chest, ignoring the fear that ignited in my gut.

"We've been trying for months to save the world. Maybe the best way to do that is one person at a time," I replied.

_Maybe other people save the world in that manner, but you are special Max. You were made to save the world in a big way. It's in your blood._

_Then I don't want my blood._

_Max. Take your vacation. When it's over, you'll go right back to saving the world, and I won't be the one influencing you._

_What does that mean?_ The Voice was gone. I growled out loud and Fang lifted his head to look at me the best he could from where he was.

"The Voice," I explained.

"Oh. What's it say about Omen?"

"I didn't get to ask."

"Hmm." The sun was just starting to rise so we stayed at the railing to watch it.

After a while Fang asked, "What's wrong with me hugging you? Isn't a boyfriend supposed to do that to his girlfriend?" I felt small bubbles of joy when he said the word, joy and weirdness.

"Is that what we are?"

"I can't think of a better term, can you?" I shook my head and turned around to bury my head in Fang's shoulder.

"No. I hope this vacation helps them. Can you believe Angel really had to ask me that? My poor baby."

"That's what upset you yesterday wasn't it?" Fang said softly.

"Yes." He held me closer and rested his chin on my head.

"They'll be all right. This vacation is the best thing that could happen for them right now. I would've convinced you to go even without the Voice's permission."

"Like you could get me to do anything," I scoffed and smiled up at him.

"Right. You're too stubborn," he said.

"And don't you forget it. I'm going to wake everyone up." Fang quirked his lips then pressed them against mine in a soft, close-mouthed kiss. I still felt bowled over.

"You'll never let me forget," he teased, letting me go. My voice was breathless but steady when I replied.

"Can I have the boys' room key?" He dug it out of his back pocket and handed it to me.

"Thank you." I walked to the girls' room first, knowing Nudge would be the hardest to wake up and therefore would take the longest time. Omen was standing outside the boys' door.

"Hello, Omen. You've got your energy back. That's great." He smiled at me and nodded. Fang came up behind me and slid his arms around my waist again. I hoped this was only a romantic gesture and that he wasn't planning on throwing me up through the balcony's roof. That would hurt.

"That means he can go on his own again. We haven't told him anything that would jeopardize us," Fang whispered, so low that even I could barely him and he was right by my super-hearing ear. I started to argue with him, but he was right.

"What's the Voice?" Omen asked.

"You were listening to us?" Fang said angrily. He stood straighter and I felt his arm muscles harden around me. I touched his arms to try to calm him.

"It's… the voice I hear in my head. My psychiatrist says I'm… clinically crazy. That's why we're on this vacation. He says it'll help," I lied. I wanted to protect Omen, but he truly couldn't come with us to Greece or anywhere for that matter. He was not part of the not-normal life we led and didn't even have a way to fly with us.

"I thought that people who were crazy thought they weren't," Omen replied.

"I'm not."

"Of course you're not, honey," Fang said, playing along. He kissed my temple and moved to put his arm around Omen's shoulders and lead him away. As they walked, I listened, pretending to watch the still rising sun.

"She is crazy. When she was sane, she never would've taken a kid like you in. I only let her so that I wouldn't push her to a relapse. She's come so far already. You've got to go now, before I get in trouble with her psychiatrist for supporting her fancies." I had to cover my mouth to keep from snorting with laughter.

"How would her psychiatrist know?" Omen asked. I noticed for the first time that Omen talked all monosyllables and proper English, no contractions or anything. It was odd for a fourteen-year-old normal runaway to do. Or was it? I didn't know.

"He calls to check up on her everyday and she leaves nothing unsaid," Fang lied. "Believe me. _Nothing_ is kept secret, not even what happens in the bedroom and we're married." I almost choked on my spit when he said that and so did Omen. I left Fang to handle Omen and went into the girls' room.


	17. Chapter 17

"Wake up, everybody. Daylight's here. We've managed to sleep a good sixteen hours. Get up!" I turned on lights and ripped the blanket off the bed. They groaned and Nudge rolled over, her wooden beads clacking, to hide her face from the light. I went to the window and pulled the curtains wide open, letting in all the new sunlight. Total grumbled and hopped off the bed to avoid Angel's arms which were blindly reaching for the blanket.

"I'll be in the boys' room trying to wake them up. When I get back you better be up and getting dressed."

"She really is acting like a mom. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to give her the role," Nudge mumbled. I rolled my eyes and went into the next room over to repeat the same routine, but Iggy and Gazzy were already up.

"What-" I started to ask, but Gazzy hushed me and Iggy put his hand over my mouth, reaching straight from two feet away. How he did it I don't know, just like his and Gazzy's high fives.

"Listen," Gazzy whispered. So I did and immediately wished I hadn't. Fang was describing doing things to me that I was pretty sure he hadn't and many that I probably would never let him do.

"What the hell?" I yelled. Judging from Omen's heavy breathing he was feeling the same. Iggy hushed me and moved his hand over my mouth again.

"What did you two _do_ last night?" Gazzy asked in awe.

"I was wondering why Fang asked for his own bed. He even forced Omen to sleep on the floor," Iggy added. I was fuming, but Iggy's arm was wrapped around my head with his hand on my mouth, holding me quiet and still like iron. With him holding me tight against his body, I could tell another part of him was like iron as well. God, that was so disgusting.

Why in the world had Fang voted to sleep on his own: to keep Omen on the floor or for other reasons? Either way he was at the top of my poop list. Just then, Total, Angel, Nudge, Fang and Omen came into the room, staring at Iggy and me. I froze and glared at Fang. He knew what it meant. Omen looked just as furious as I felt.

"Why are you holding her like that? Aren't you supposed to be her son?"

"I told you. She's crazy," Fang said. "She must've attacked our son. You can let go of her Joseph. I think she's calmed down now." It took me a minute to remember that Iggy's fake name was Joseph. He tentatively moved away and kept moving until he was on the other side of the room.

"Now apologize to our son, Melanie."

"I didn't attack him, _Fnick_. He attacked me and you know it." Fang winced and glanced at Omen to see what he made of it.

"Maybe you should leave," Fang said to him.

Omen replied, "I can help. Maybe I could hold her when she starts attacking your children."

"Oh God. Please do not tell me that you got a hard on too," I scowled. Iggy blushed, Fang looked at both of us with raised eyebrows, and Omen glanced at the ground. Maybe it wasn't anger I hadn't heard in his heavy breathing.

"What's a hard on?" Angel asked. I remembered the others were in the room and looked at them weakly.

"Nothing sweetheart. Its-" Then she paled and I realized she had gotten the answer from someone else's mind. There goes my baby's innocence.

"All of you leave this room right now. Omen, there's a breakfast downstairs for the residents. Help yourself on our bill and then get the hell out of here. You won't be coming with us."

"But-"

"I'm not listening to you. Get." He nodded and left. I glared at Fang and Iggy, before taking the younger ones' hands and following Omen out of the room. Had I really been living with a bunch of perverted bird kids all my life? I stopped at the door to give final directions.

"You too will stay here to… take care of yourselves. When you're done, take _thorough_ showers and come down for breakfast. I'm not speaking to you anymore." They nodded, looking embarrassed and ashamed.

"Actually, Max. I think that you've pretty much ruined it," Iggy said. I let go of Angel's hand and threw a nearby lamp at him. It hit him in the stomach and we bent over, wrapping around the pain.

"It should've hit you lower," I growled. I saw that Angel had paled even further and started dragging all of them away from those two.

"Total, go back to the girls' room. We'll bring back food for you, but remember you can't be seen." He nodded and headed for the open door. I closed it behind him.

"Stop listening to them, Angela," I said, using her fake name now that we were outside of the room. She nodded as well, but stayed pale. My baby would be haunted by the images of what she'd seen in their minds for the rest of her life. There was no doubt about it.


	18. Chapter 18

Omen wasn't in the lobby's breakfast room, so I figured he had grabbed something and left, or not gotten anything at all. It served him right. Each of us filled up three Styrofoam bowls with cereal and Nudge piled a paper plate with donuts for us to share until the plate emptied and someone would have to get more. It seemed like the hotel manager wanted to stop us from getting so much, but he had to remember that the customer was always right. We dug in, hardly tasting the food after going without for sixteen hours, even if it was mostly sleep. We only slowed down after the third or fourth time we refilled our bowls and plates. By then Fang and Iggy had joined us. Jerk-offs. Pun totally intended.

"Angel, what did you hear from Omen yesterday?" I asked, making sure to clarify the time. I did not want to hear what he had going on this morning.

"He's Omega's rebuild. Omega 2.0," she said, casually. Everyone stared at her dumbstruck as she spooned another bite of cereal in her mouth. Suddenly I realized why he had seemed familiar before.

"What?" she asked, mouth full of food.

"And you decided this wasn't important?" I asked.

"It's not. Or it wasn't then."

"Angel, do you remember the original Omega? He tried to _kill_ me. Unless they changed the way he thinks when they rebuilt him, he was probably going to try to do that this time. And you let him sleep in the boys' room without even telling us."

"He's not going to kill you, Max. He's in love with you," she said, almost like she was scalding a child. Everyone looked over at me, surprised, but I just shook my head, speechless.

"I-in love with me?" I asked.

"Yep. But he's been given the mission to kill you, and it's been programmed in his head, so he has to, no matter what."

"Then, wh-"

"He's decided to kill Fang instead, because he thinks losing Fang will kill your spirit or something," she said, cutting off my question.

"If he's going to kill Fang, then why di-"

"He was too tired. Remember? He couldn't lift his arms or anything."

"He was standing this morning," I argued.

"I heard Fang thinking he was going to stay up all night. He would've woke us up if Omega 2.0 tried to kill him." I shook my head.

"No he wouldn't have," I said.

"Yes I would."

"No you wouldn't. You've got this thing where you think you've gotta prove yourself all the time. Remember how you left us because Ari stayed with us and he was someone who had won against you? You would've taken care of this new Omega somehow and then the next morning you would've shown us the body and said 'I told you so'. But you wouldn't have survived, Fang. I barely defeated the original Omega and only because Jeb told me his weakness. They're sure to have fixed that in this version."

"I thought you weren't talking to me," Fang mumbled. I was right and he knew it.

"Maybe some of those things Fang told Omen, I mean Omega 2.0 about _were_ true."

"Shut up, Iggy," Fang, Nudge, Gazzy, and I said together. He looked surprised and harassed.

"Come on. Finish your food. Check out's in an hour." They all nodded at me as I got up to go back to the rooms and pack our few belongings.

"And Angel?" I said, waiting for her eyes before continuing, "If you ever keep something like this from me again, you are going to be in big trouble." She nodded, looking sad and I left. How could Angel risk Fang's or anyone's life like that? Maybe I hadn't taught her well enough. Here I was, a fourteen-year-old flying bird kid trying to be a normal mom and I couldn't even teach them to value a flock member's life. Hell, I couldn't even cook. Add what I had just learned to the horrendous event this morning and I might as well be one of those moms addicted to crack that let their little kids run around that you always saw on Dr. Phil, or at least, I had the one time I'd gotten to watch it.

I was still brooding over my bad parenting skills, when I reached the room doors and stopped, frozen in place. Omega 2.0, Omen, was standing in front of the girls' door.

"I heard what was said," he stated, "And all of it is true."


	19. Chapter 19

"Come on, kill her. Kill her," the woman said, rooting for this nightmare to be over. He had enough energy now and they were alone. The recombinant DNA experiment as completely unprotected and he was just standing there. If they weren't talking, she would've asked to get on line with him again. He could've killed her earlier during the conversation between her and the dark, older boy, but he hadn't and then the conversation between him and the boy had been more disturbing and intimate than she wanted to know. It worried her that the experiments were so intimate; no one knew what the resulting child of such intimacy would be. Within a minute of the conversation's beginning, she had asked the lip reader to stop repeating what they were saying. She was glad there was no sound.

The target started to say something but Omega 2.0 dashed forward and suddenly they couldn't see anything anymore. The screen was black. Adrenaline levels were high in Omega 2.0's body, but nothing could be seen. What was going on there? Had he killed the target or not? Suddenly the same women from before ran forward with a headset.

"He wishes to talk to you ma'am." The woman took the headset and put them on, dismissing the other woman with a flick of her hand.

"Omega 2.0? What's going on? We lost visual."

"The target is dead, mistress. The mission has been completed." A cheer went up around the room, but the woman hushed them to continue her conversation with Omega 2.0."

"Where's visual?" she asked.

"I do not know, mistress."

"Hmm…" A man came forward with a different headset.

"The boss, ma'am. He wishes to speak with you."

"Of course. Please hold Omega 2.0."

"Yes mistress." The view on the screen changed to the silhouette of a man, one she recognized as that of the man who called the shots.

"This is Alexia, sir. Omega 2.0 has completed the mission."

"Great. Why is the visual gone?"

"I don't know, sir." She felt just like Omega 2.0 as she answered him.

"Hmm… This is the second major problem we've had with him. Cut him loose."

"What? Sir, you can't possibly mean-"

"I know what I mean. Destroy everything relating to Omega 2.0. Burn the whole building up. Clip all strings we have attached to him. He won't survive a day without our machines monitoring him. I will be watching from here until it's done."

"But, sir-"

"Do it, Alexia. And I will be watching _all_ the connections until every last one of them is severed. I know this is your pet project, but I will not tolerate a mistake still being taken care of and monitored even though we both know that he is a loss. We will discontinue all Omega experiments and any future models you wished to build. Now get on it." The call ended and the blackness from Omega 2.0's camera returned on screen. Alexia switched headsets.

"Mistress?" Omega 2.0 asked.

"You're done Omega 2.0. When this connection ends you will no longer be attached to our company. Do not come back." Alexia felt dead as she said it, but the boss would kill her if she missed even one connection even if it was an accident.

"Yes, mistress." His voice didn't change at all. One of his flaws. One of the things that gave away what he truly was. The mission was complete, but she had lost her own because of it. Alexia waited until the tech man gave the signal then hung up and with the end of the call, came the end of anything Omega. They left the building one by one, bringing nothing with them and security checked to make sure they truly had nothing before letting them out. Alexia moved in a daze, having lost the only thing she cared about besides her life and money. Omega had been _hers. _ For the first time in years, she cried, watching the giant complex she had worked in most of her life go up in flames. Knowing how well placed the self-destruct bombs would be, she knew there would be nothing left. Omega, Omega 2.0, and any future models, were gone forever


	20. Chapter 20

I opened my mouth to ask him what the hell he was doing when he was suddenly in front of me, a blindfold on his face and his hand pushed tightly against my mouth. I wiggled and fought but he just curled his arm, wrapping me in a headlock like the one Iggy had held me in earlier. And what was with the blindfold? Where had it come from?

"Please put the mistress on," he said. I looked around for a mistress, but saw no one. After a short pause he spoke again.

"The target is dead, mistress. The mission has been completed." What was he talking about? I was still alive, wasn't I or was he talking about Fang? Another short pause.

"I do not know mistress." Another pause, slightly longer this time.

"Yes, mistress." This time, the pause was almost unbearably long and his hand on my mouth was starting to hurt.

"Mistress?" he asked, then, "Yes, mistress." After another few seconds. He took off the blindfold with his free hand then backed up and let me go. I was too shocked and curious to do the smart thing and leave. Plus Total was still in the girls' room.

"What was that?" I yelled. He looked relieved that I hadn't left yet.

"I am sorry. I had to make sure they did not see you speak. They cannot hear you, but they have a lip reader to translate for them. I was sure you would say something revealing." I rubbed my sore mouth and glared at him.

"Who's side are you on anyway?" I asked.

"Yours," he replied.

"But you want to kill Fang."

"Yes. I am sorry, but that is the only way I can think of killing you without killing you."

"I thought you said mission is completed."

"Are you dead or feel like you are dead?" I realized what he meant and sighed.

"So what just happened there? Why are you letting them see me speak now?"

"Because I have failed," he said, simply.

"But I thought you just told them-"

"My energy was drained almost completely three days after a full charge even though I am supposed to last months without anything and just now, my visual turned black even though I was awake with my eyes open. Too many failures and flaws. You have noticed the way I speak. They consider this a clue as to what I am. They terminated all connections so now I am completely unmonitored," he explained.

"Oh. But you're still trying to kill us," I argued, "They can't have destroyed all the links."

"They have. I can feel it, but although I am still connected to them, I am still programmed to kill you. They did that while I was there."

"So they like… opened up your head and typed in 'kill Max'?" I asked. His affirming nod made me dizzy so that I had to put my hand on his arm for balance. I almost immediately pulled it away and he looked hurt. I remembered Angel's words: 'He won't kill you Max. He's in love with you' and Omega 2.0's 'I heard what was said and all of it is true'. Great. Now I had _two_ perverted guys swept off their feet. Why was I even still talking to him?

"I do not want to kill you Max or hurt you, but under my own thoughts there are the constant words: 'kill Maximum Ride' over and over again so that it is all I can think of."

"Then don't kill me or Fang," I offered, "Everyone has thoughts of killing people, but that doesn't mean they act on it." Omega 2.0 looked very frustrated and strained.

"I will try. Will you bring me with you to Greece? Maybe it will help soothe the thoughts if I am near you," he said.

"You've been eaves-dropping on us?" I shouted, angry again. Omega 2.0 winced and moved out of the way as I advanced on him. He was probably about ten times stronger than me if the original Omega was anything to go by, but he still knew better than to get in my way when I was mad. Probably from all those times when he listened in on us. Grr!

I walked past him and used my room key card to unlock the girls' room. Total leaped into my arms and growled at Omega 2.0. He must've heard everything as well. I was glad he was just sticking to growling, remembering our cover, even though we were pretty much screwed anyway if anyone saw we had a dog in our room.

"Will you still call me Omen?" he asked, following me into the room.

"Why?" I snapped.

"I do not wish to be just a rebuild of someone else. And I liked the nickname you gave me, 'O'." I turned to look at him, feeling maternal again. Omega 2.0 looked pitiful and sad and I realized all he knew was labs and whitecoats, just like us. And if they had given him the original Omega's memories, he remembered me kicking his butt. Why did he love me again?

"All right, O. You can come with us. If you can follow us in hiding while we're flying, I figure you can keep up when you're with us." He beamed at me and started to help me pack.

"Just keep your killing thoughts to yourself, all right?"

"Of course." Then the whole gang walked in, looking worried and furious.


	21. Chapter 21

Fang couldn't believe what he had just heard until he saw Max and Omega's rebuild standing side by side over the girls' backpacks. Was she really going to let someone whose entire mission in life was to kill her come with us? It was a stupid, stupid maternal Maximum Ride move and he knew there was nothing he could do about it, especially since he'd promised not to leave again. And he was already in deep trouble for the hard on scene.

"He's coming with us?" Fang shouted. "He wants to KILL you Max! What are you thinking?" Then he saw that determined look pass over her face and knew he had lost.

"I am thinking, he's another experiment _just like us_. And they just kicked him out because he doesn't 'work'! He needs our help, Fang. And I'm gonna help him." The _robot_ kept his eyes on his hands while he packed the girls' things into their backpacks. It infuriated Fang that Max was letting him touch her stuff. She yelled at anyone else who went through her backpack.

"So you're gonna risk the entire flock's lives for a robot, just because he says he got kicked out of the lab. Don't you think it might be a trick to get in?"

"If it is, you're the one he's trying to kill, not me." That one stung Fang to his core and he closed his mouth to stare at Max. He watched the regret pass over her face.

"I-I'm sorry Fang. I didn't mean that." The others started to file surreptitiously out of the room and Omega 2.0, the last one out, closed the door on them. Fang felt his face harden as he turned to follow them.

"No Fang, please stay. Please." Max grabbed Fang's arm, but didn't pull on it. He stopped anyways. How could she have said something like that? That wasn't like Max.

"Max. What's the secret word?" Fang asked.

"The secret word?"

"The one to make sure you're not your clone." He turned around to watch her eyes as she answered. She looked hurt.

"Please tell me you're just saying that because you're mad and not because you honestly think I'm Max 2," she whispered. Max was acting so different lately. Mostly, he had asked because of his anger, but underneath, he couldn't help but wonder if she was her clone, smarter now after her first mission into their group. The hurt on Max's face was so evident, that Fang stepped forward and pulled her close, rubbing her back in small circles, underneath he retracted wings. She rested her forehead against his shoulder.

"You're right. I'm sorry," he sighed. "But this thing with Omega 2.0-"

"Omen."

"What?"

"He wants to be called Omen." Fang scowled but corrected himself and continued.

"This thing with Omen isn't like you at all. This isn't safe for any of us."

"I know," she breathed. Her breath on his neck and shoulder made him shiver, hitting nerves he hadn't known about until the Voice had told Max it was all right for them to be together.

"He's one of us though, Fang. He's an experiment and they used him, but when he stopped working they threw him out like a broken toy. That's so wrong." Her voice shook with righteous anger and indignation. It made Fang chuckle despite himself.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"You're such a mom," he teased, glad to see her face lighten and relax for it. She had finally come to him. Now was not the time to have a tag-along lovesick robot with them, one which Max seemed to care for inexplicably, almost as much as the rest of the flock if what he read off her face was correct.

"I am not!" Max screeched, thumping him lightly on the arm and pulling away. He felt a rare full-blown laugh gurgle up his throat and escape from his mouth, causing Max to stare at him in awe and then laugh too. God, it felt good to laugh. To laugh with Max and be relaxed for once in their runaway lives. All too soon, their laughter died out and they had to finish packing and check out of the hotel as one large group. Fang could only shake his head and think, "Life as a runaway bird kid would never be easy."


	22. Chapter 22

"Wow. He's fast," Nudge stated. Before we knew about him, Omen had been following us by running in warp on the ground. We couldn't see him, but for the effect of the wind from his speed on the area around him. Now that we knew, it was fascinating to watch, and nerve-wracking. He was going to get us seen. Fang seemed to have the same thoughts.

"Maybe someone should tell him to weave back and forth so he's not always right under us," he mumbled to me.

"You wanna fly down in there in front of everybody and try to catch him to tell him that?" I asked.

"No, but you can go that fast. If you're both in warp, no one can see you except each other." He paused, seeming to rethink his idea.

"Ok then. See you in a bit." And I dived down, switching to warp so that Omen suddenly came into focus. He didn't seem to even be breaking into a sweat. I took a few seconds to feel the joy of flight at its fastest before soaring down to match Omen's pace.

"Hey. You're wind stream is gonna lead someone straight to us," I called. "Do you think you could weave around and zigzag and stuff? People look up when they feel really strong wind."

"Of course. I am sorry, Max." I smiled at him and rose up again, spontaneously showing off with a few loop-to-loops and sideways flying. He laughed a stiff, unused laugh and waved. The sideways flying gave me an idea and I warped back to the flock, circling them once, before returning to normal speed.

"Hey. Fang, remember how I was saying that I would find a better way to pass objects to each other?" I called. He raised an affirmative eyebrow and I continued on.

"What if we flew sideways facing each other?"

"But our wings would hit," Iggy stated.

"Not if we match our wing beats opposite each other like when we pass now," I replied. There were excited noises all around and Nudge started looping and clapping.

"Let me go first. I wanna try!" she squealed.

"All right. Fly sideways just like we practiced." She did the complicated maneuver so that she was flying horizontally and waited for me to do the same. It took a few minutes to match our wing against each other just right, but we did it and suddenly both of our hands were holding both of each other's, something that before had been impossible. Nudge squealed in delight and twirled way, clipping my wing so that I fell a few hundred feet.

"Watch it!" I yelled. She giggled and got Angel to do the same maneuver with her. I flew back up to Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy and watched my girls giggle and play, passing a somewhat reluctant, somewhat embarrassed, somewhat excited Total between them as they danced in the air. I dodged Iggy and Gazzy as they started flew together in the same manner as the girls.

"See, Max? They're not growing up too fast," Fang whispered. I smiled weakly at him and watched my flock play.

"Yeah, but as soon as a Flyboy or Eraser comes, they'll be fighting machines," I whispered back.

"But that's not who they are inside. That's just what they are when they're in danger."

"Normal kids don't have to fight to save themselves from danger."

"Normal kids take karate lessons and defense lessons," Fang replied. I sighed and glared at him, knowing he had won this argument. Mom had taken us to a karate lesson once, to see if we could improve our fighting techniques. The sensei said we were already blackbelts as far as he was concerned. But the point of this story, girls and boys, is that we weren't the only kids our age in the class. Angel even had some playmates.

"Let them play and stop worrying, worrywart," he finished.

"I'm a worrywart. I can't stop worrying." His lips quirked, as he turned to fly sideways and held out his hand. There was an earphone in his fingertips with a wire trailing down his arm to an ipod in his pocket.

"Come and play with me," he stated. I sighed and turned sideways myself flying closer until we held hands and I could put the earphone in my ear without risking tearing it out.

"Where did you get the ipod?" I asked.

"Dr. Martinez gave it to me."

"You can call her mom, you know. I don't mind sharing her. I wish you guys had moms too. Nice ones."

"But then we'd be brother and sister."

"We used to be."

"But not now." I smiled and we weaved together around the rest of the flock who were still in pairs, switching partners like dancers and enjoying flight.

"Will you-" Fang started, then he paused.

"Will I what?"

"Can I warp with you?" he asked, looking more nervous than I'd seen him in ages. I laughed.

"Just hang on tight," I replied and he pulled me closer in his arms, a bright expression on his face.

"That shouldn't be hard." I felt a warmth go through me and pulled his lips to mine as I switched to warp speed. It was a good thing too because Fang stopped beating his wings.


	23. Chapter 23

Omen looked up just in time to see Max and the boy appear in warp speed, wrapped around each other with their lips pressed tightly together. He had missed their earlier conversation to his speed, but the sight of them kissing was enough to send him into an envious fury. How would he be able to stay with the flock long enough to earn Max's trust and love without hurting Fang first? Especially if they kept up like that.

He felt something new, a primal growl build up inside him. He didn't know they had designed him with such… _human_ feelings, or was it from the human parts of his brain they had supplied him with? It did not matter. He would find a way around them until they could be released. Omen would just have to avoid Max and the boy when they were feeling more… romantically inclined.

I broke off the kiss first because I couldn't seem to remember to breathe through my nose and laughed at Fang's expression. He seemed blissful, confused, and maybe a little dizzy. But that was how I had felt my first time warping. And my first time kissing him.

"Look around," I demanded. He did and I watched awe join the emotions on his face. He was being unusually easy to read, but I didn't mind.

"Wow. Max, this-this is amazing." I laughed again and buried my head in his neck, letting myself relax in his arms except for my wings bearing both our weight. For some reason everything seemed lighter in warp speed, so holding Fang was easy for once. I felt his lips touch the touch of my head and squeezed him closer to me.

"The others are going to want to try this too," he whispered into my hair.

"I know. But they can wait." I was glad to feel that the fear of before was gone as I spoke and let Fang hold me. It felt good to feel his lips move from head, to ear, to jaw, to lips, to neck and back again as my lips did their own circuit on him. He laughed softly in my ear and I shivered, but not because of the wind. I caught a glimpse over his shoulder to the ground of Omen disappearing into normal speed and frowned. He looked angry.

"What's wrong?" Fang asked, looking around for attackers. He must've felt really vulnerable, being suspended only by my arms and not his own work.

"Nothing." He gave me a full frown, for him a sign that he was _really_ upset.

"Let's go back to the others," I added. The frown deepened, but I ignored it and turned around, letting the warp speed carry us that much faster back to the flock who were still joyfully playing their games with the new flying maneuver.

Omen slowed, not willing to be able to see them anymore and careful that no one saw him appear, seemingly out of thin air. He would have to control his temper if he wanted his plan to work. If the scientists had designed him to be such a person, he would have muttered angrily at himself to keep his head. As it was, Omen just took three deep breaths and looked around the area for the flock to take a break to eat. He had been briefed on their mass calorie intake and wanted to keep them strong, if only to make the boy's death struggle more interesting. Although he wasn't one to speak to himself, he was one to smile at himself and took a moment to do so at the thought.

If only Max did not know the plan. It would make the execution that much easier… And getting her to care about him rather than the boy after the boy's death would be extremely difficult now that she knew why he did it. Perhaps he could play on her maternal feelings or even or romantic feelings to show that he couldn't help it or that he did it because he loved her.


	24. Chapter 24

Omen had found us a place (or rather several places) to eat our fill for the day. It was him who suggested that we order a normal-sized meal, but visit several places until we were full. It was a smart idea as long as no one worked in two restaurants or recognized us. And that night, Omen was the one to gather the driest wood he could find for a smokeless fire. I was thankful for it, while Fang was on edge and the others welcomed him into our group just as happily as they had welcomed Total, Akila and my blood family. It led to a very awkward, yet cheerful dinner. That night after everyone had gone to bed, Fang and I stayed up, talking.

"He's dangerous, Max," Fang whispered, poking half-heartedly at our dying fire with a stick.

"He hasn't hurt anyone yet. All he's done is help, Fang. Please give him a chance, okay?" I watched the flames flicker and wrap around Fang's stick while listening to my flock sleep.

"Don't you hear it?" he asked. I stopped and concentrated on Omen's sleeping sounds. He didn't breathe and his heart didn't beat. All you could hear was the whirring of gears and occasionally a beep coming from his chest.

"He's mostly robot, Fang. How do you think he's the same age as the last Omega only a few months later?" I couldn't fight off the intense creepiness of Omen's sleep sounds, but I could fight off Fang's worries.

"He's not one of us Max." I scoffed, suddenly angry.

"You sound like the grownups and whitecoats," I growled. "They don't accept what's different either. He's had to deal with the same horrible people we had to deal with and just like with us, they dumped him in the middle of the US just so he could die."

"Max?" I looked up and over at a sleepy-eyed Angel.

"What is it baby?"

"I had a nightmare."

"Oh, come here sweetheart," I cooed. "Was it the School again?" Angel circled around the fire and crawled onto my lap, curling into a fetal ball.

"It was like the School, but… different," she stated. "I think I heard Omen's dreams." I stared at Fang, my eyes showing the words, "He's a person too. He has dreams. See?"

"Oh, Max. He had to go through much worse stuff than we did. They opened up his head while he was still awake and messed with his brain and made him run for days and days and they even took almost all his blood out to see if he could re-grow it. It was awful." She started sobbing and I kissed the top of her head, her recently-short, blonde hair tickling my nose.

"It's all right, Ang. It's all right." I bounced her slightly, feeling a pang in my heart for my poor baby. Fang made me jump when I felt his hand on my shoulder. We shared a look and I nodded.

"Angel, baby," he said, quietly and gentle, "We're _never_ gonna go back to the School again, okay? Me and Max and all the others are gonna keep you safe away from there. Now do you think you can stop crying before you flood us?" She nodded and wiped her tears, laughing a little.

"That's my girl." He gave her one of those soft chin punches where you graze your fist along the jaw. Angel smiled up at him and took his hand in both of hers. I smiled gratefully at Fang and all three of us jumped when we heard a groan come from one of the sleepers. Omen sat up and stared at us.

"I am sorry. Did I wake you?" I shared a look with Fang and this time he nodded.

"No, Omen. Ang, why don't you go lay with Omen and help him with his nightmares?" I said. Omen looked surprised, but Angel nodded, hopped off my lap and went to snuggle next to Omen in his sleeping bag.

"You know of my nightmares?" Omen asked, to the night in general.

"I'll leave Angel to tell you that." He nodded also and I watched with only a little fear as this new friend and my own little baby snuggled down together, fending against the night and the past. Fang and I waited until they were both asleep again before taking off on a perimeter flight check.


	25. Chapter 25

We were off again the next morning, Omen below and the rest of us flying. Nudge had used the laptop to figure out how far from New York and its airports we were, knowing that while Omen might be able to run in warp on the ocean bottom, none of the rest of us could fly from the continental US to the islands of Greece, especially in one trip. Only half an hour and we would be there.

All of us (except for Nudge of course) were terrified of returning to New York after our last visit. Total was the most afraid. We had found him in New York locked up in a kennel in the deepest depths of hell (more like the sewer system of New York City, but what's the difference?). We had to take turns carrying him because he was shaking too hard to fly. When we neared the city, I made the flock stop and settle down.

"People are looking up for us now," I explained. The others nodded and tucked in their wings, straightening out or wrinkling up their clothes to play to our new roles. Omen, under Nudge's strict supervision had been remade into another biological son. It upset him, but he put up with it, knowing how Fang was searching for any and every reason to kick Omen out of our group. To complete the look of happy family, Fang lifted Angel onto his shoulders and wrapped his arm around my waist. Iggy put his hand on my shoulder so that I could guide him through the crowded streets and Omen, Nudge and Gazzy walked ahead with Total on a leash in Nudge's hand. Total even went to the trouble of chasing multiple squirrels and cats up the evenly spaced trees. A real family. Ri-ight.

Fang and I called the 'kids' by their fake names whenever they got too far ahead or stopped to gaze with awe at something. None of us could resist the roasted hazelnuts and I used the Max card to get each of us two bags. They tasted just as good as we remembered.

"Es no good for you dog," the man we bought the nuts from said as I handed Nudge Total's bag to feed to him one at a time, just like a real dog.

"He'll be fine," I assured. "He can eat anything." The man shrugged and turned to the next customer.

"Sir, could you give us directions to the nearest airport?" I asked, regaining his attention.

"Si, si." Then he rattled off a list of street names and turns while Fang scrambled for a pen to right it on his arm, carefully setting Angel down on the ground first. I glanced around the small street shop and saw Nudge slyly playing with her magnetic powers. I sent her a glare and she stopped, properly chastised. With my super-hearing, I heard Iggy insult Total for some reason or other, then a few minutes later I heard a crash and Nudge's piercing scream.

"Iggy!"


	26. Chapter 26

Fang whirled around, feeling Max do the same next to him and a fear that the robot was responsible for this. If Ig wasn't hurt though, Fang just might give him and Nudge a reason to be screaming and falling over. She had used Iggy's real name in public! Max had taught them better than that.

"Joseph! What's wrong?" Max yelled. Fang finally saw the scene behind them. Iggy was on the ground with Total's leash tightened around his legs. The others seemed to be upright and standing. Fang started to let out a sigh of relief and frustration, when Max darted forward and lifted Iggy into her lap. He wouldn't put up with that if he was alive or conscious. Fang noticed blood and felt fear fill him.

"Iggy, Iggy, baby wake up," Max whispered, far below a normal human's hearing range, stroking his bright red hair away from his face. At least she was keeping her head.

"I call the po-lice," the store owner stated.

"No!" Everyone spoke together, causing the owner to freeze with the phone halfway to his ear.

"But es hurt," he argued. "There es blood! Are you wanted by po-lice? Get out of my shop, criminals!" The man pulled a broom out of nowhere and started beating Fang with it. They had to get Iggy to a safe place, but the New York streets weren't good for him.

"Okay, okay. We're leaving. Omen, Mel. Help me pick him up," Fang called. They nodded and all three moved to lift Iggy into their arms and away from the crazy shop keeper who was still beating them with the broom as they left.

"What do we do?" Nudge asked, panicked. "We can't carry him anywhere and we can't take him to the hospital and we don't know how to take care of him and-"

"That's enough, Talia," Max growled. "We can handle it, okay? Let's get to Central Park and hide out there. No one will think anything of us carrying him here. Everyone stay calm and it'll be all right." The familiar feeling of Max taking charge and taking care of them settled over the flock and soon everyone was acting like this was just any other mission. Only Total had trouble controlling himself, muttering over and over how sorry he was, shaking with fear in Angel's arms. Fang listened as Max uttered assurances to the whole flock and wished he could comfort her. But he was on the opposite end of Iggy and he could only send her worried, empathetic glances.


	27. Chapter 27

Oh God. Iggy was hurt, Iggy was hurt, Iggy was hurt. Max couldn't keep the fear away though you couldn't tell by listening to her calm the flock. Fang seemed to know, but he had always been able to read her. She had to keep the panic away until Iggy was stable and hidden and she was away from the flock where they couldn't hear her. She had seen pieces of what might be brain on the floor in the blood. No don't think about that. Don't think at all, Max.

_Sometimes good comes of the bad._

_Go away Voice, unless you know how to fix this. Iggy's dying._

_I'll instruct you. He'll be fine. But what I need you to do right now is get him somewhere safe. Central Park isn't going to cut it, Max._

_Then what will? _Max felt like screaming with frustration, but had to stay strong for the flock.

_Remember the last time you came here? Where aside from Central Park and the Subway did you stay?_ I took a minute to remember, thinking of all the backdrops of our sleeping quarters in New York.

_A high rise. One of the ones that are still under construction._ She felt the Voice smile approvingly in her mind.

_But we can't carry him there. It's too high and too noticeable. Everyone's looking out for us now._

_How heavy was Fang when you warped together?_

_Like, like a feather._ Another approving smile and then the Voice pulled away.

"Guys I think I know a better place to take him. Everyone follow me into that alley." They followed without argument, though all of them looked confused.

"Now grab on tight. Let me have all of Iggy's weight," I said, the last to Fang and Omen. They maneuvered him so that Iggy's arms were wrapped around my neck and mine around his waist. Fang realized what I was planning and helped the others get good grips on me without grabbing only my clothes. They would rip off if I changed into warp suddenly with their weight pulling them down.

"Everyone ready?" I asked. I felt and saw nods against my body and around me. I prayed to myself silently, "Please God, whoever, wherever you are. Help us keep Iggy safe and help him heal." Then I switched to warp from a straight standstill, something I'd never tried before, much less with passengers in tow. It worked like a dream and suddenly everyone felt super light. I felt a loosening grip, then Fang grabbing whosever hand it was and holding them tight.

"It feels like you could float, but don't let go," he warned. "You'll get pulled away." The world blurred around us and I had to concentrate hard to look for a proper building. I found one and warped us into a glassless window near the very top, stopping in time to keep us from hitting the opposite wall or even worse through an opposite window and back out again.

_Good job, Max. Now we need Nudge. Set Iggy on the ground on his stomach so you can see the wound._ I relayed the instructions to Fang and Omen then listened again.

_Why do we need Nudge?_

_There is a chip in Iggy's brain. You need Nudge to remove it. Use her magnetic abilities._

"Nudge come here." She walked forward and I saw the tear stains on her cheeks. I reached up to wipe them away and gripped her elbows.

"Honey, the Voice says there's a chip in Iggy's brain. It's metal so it thinks you can get it out. Do you think you can?"

"Yeah." She nodded and bent down next to Iggy's head. I winced when I studied the wound. It was more like a hole the size of an egg in the back of his head, deep enough that we could see his brain through a smaller hole in his skull. The inner hole looked square and even as if it had been surgically removed. What had they done to him?

"Are you sure, Nudge?" I asked, when she paused.

"Yeah, but I'm afraid I'm gonna cut his brains up."

_Voice?_

_That's part of the point of this. You'll see._

_What?_

_Just have her do it. Tell her it's all right._ I nodded, even though I wasn't sure if the Voice could feel it or hear it and massaged Nudge's back between her shoulder blades.

"It's all right Nudge. He'll be fine." She sighed and raised her hand over the hole, concentrating solidly for a minute.

"It's in there. There's bad memories on the chip." She shuddered and I had half a mind to call it off and ask the Voice for a different solution, but the chip wiggled out of Iggy's brain and his head with a pop and into Nudge's hand.

"I got it," she said.

"That's my girl." I smiled at her as she handed me the chip and backed off. I almost vomited when I saw the pieces of brain on the chip. Would Iggy even be able to function after this?


	28. Chapter 28

_He'll be fine, Max._

_But-_

_Just watch him now._ I did and was amazed. Iggy's skin and skull seemed to knit itself back together and hair grew again over the blank piece of skin on his head. He groaned and for once I felt relief.

"Ugh. My head hurts," he moaned. I laughed and pulled him up into my lap in a hug.

"Does this mean he can heal himself now?" Angel asked.

"Man, that is so cool!" Gazzy yelled, punching the air.

_Voice?_

_No, but good _has_ come of this._ I started to question the Voice further, but it pulled away again and I was left frustrated.

"No," I sighed. He's just as mortal as the rest of us." I felt Iggy stiffen in my arms.

"Come on Iggy. Don't freak out now about me hugging you. You'll live." He pulled away anyway and gripped my shoulders, staring at me. It was unnerving.

"Stop staring at me," I demanded. I watched a smile tweak his lips and then realized what I had said.

"You can see!" I squealed. Suddenly all of us were crying and hugging each other, so happy for Iggy's returned sight. Iggy started saying all sorts of things like "Max has a blue shirt on" and "It's dark out." After a while the others started getting annoyed, but as long as my boy could see, I wouldn't begrudge him his excitement. I felt like crying with relief, screaming with joy or flinging myself out the window into the sky. I settled for all three and it took them a few minutes to realize I had warped out of the building.

When I came back Total declared, "This deserves a celebration." Nudge immediately had a million ideas, most of which we vetoed.

"Come on, Max," she wheedled. "There aren't any more Erasers to attack us and we haven't seen a Flyboy in ages. It'll be safe and it'll be awesome. We gotta celebrate Iggy seeing again."

"Iggy, what did you most miss seeing?" I asked.

"Um…" I saw him blush and shook my head.

"Forget I asked." Fang chuckled and sat down next to me, his knees angled up and his arm around my shoulders before he kissed my cheek.

"Ugh. That looks even worse than it sounds."

"You're telling me," Gazzy replied. Fang laughed again and pulled me in for a real kiss, much to the embarrassment of me and the rest of the flock, though the feel of his lips on mine soon overwhelmed any embarrassment I had. I pulled away and rested my head on his shoulder, watching my flock, at their happiest since our two years with Jeb in the house in the mountains. It worried me that Omen sat apart, watching them with longing while studiously ignoring me and Fang. I could only hope it was a sense of courtesy that kept his eyes off us.


	29. Chapter 29

We finally settled on visiting several museums, going to see multiple movies in different theaters, and then Fang and Omen would take Iggy to um… A uh- strip joint, way against my own thoughts, but again, I would let my boy see anything he wanted now that he could. None of the others knew about the last activity and none of them would. I had made sure that Omen would join them, so he could be integrated into our group and be a part of it like Total and Akila had joined us. Male bonding or something. Whatever. I was _so_ not gonna be there for it.

It was such a great thing to watch Iggy watch the world. He could _see_. He could finally put faces to the voices and sights to the sounds. He couldn't get off of how all of us looked so much older and we made sure he got to see a mirror so he could finally see himself after all these years. I almost broke into tears again as I watched Iggy gaze at himself with awe.

"I look pretty good," he finally said, though I could hear the sobs ready to break through his voice. It was perfect and wonderful and just-just wow! We decided to put the plane flight to Greece off until the next day, to let Iggy see New York as we had seen it what seemed like ages ago. The Max Ride card never maxed out throughout all our trips around the city. And when I checked the balance at an ATM, it was exactly the same as the first time I had checked it the last time we were in New York.

All together, the day was just a heady experience for all of us, but especially for Iggy. He even called first watch for the first time ever. I would have to watch the young ones until they got back from the strip joint, but still that meant a lot. After the younger kids went to sleep, Fang brought me to the roof, where he paced agitatedly, rubbing his hands through his hair. Now if you've been paying any attention at all then you'll know this was a big deal. Something was really bugging him.

"What is it?" I asked, grabbing his hand so he either had to stop or drag me along with him. Luckily he stopped, but he wouldn't look at me.

"Fang? What is it?" I repeated, twisting so that we had eye contact and holding both his hands to keep him still.

"Are you sure you're okay with this strip joint?"

"No, but Iggy can see again and that's what he wants to see. I'm not gonna stop him. Why? Does it bother you?"

"No. I mean- Does it bother you that… _I'm_ going?" he finally said. I sighed and pulled him closer to brush my lips lightly against his.

"Should I be worried about you going to a strip joint?" I replied.

"No."

"Then I won't be worried about it."

"But I asked if you were bothered by it. Not worried," he stated, with already-quirking lips. This time I was the one who avoided his gaze.

"No."

"Max…"

"Maybe a little."

"Max…"

"Oh all right," I sighed, exasperated. "I'm very bothered by it, okay? Just like I was bothered by seeing you kissing that redhead back in Washington and by that horrible scientist lady." He gave me a full smile before bending over and pressing his lips to mine and sending shivers up my spine by rubbing the edges of my lower spine with his thumbs. When he pulled away, I looked up at him with disoriented eyes.

"I can stay here," he offered, smiling slyly. I scowled at him and pushed him off the edge of the building just as the others came out, Omen warping down the side, and Iggy hovering in the air. He turned and let his wings fill with air, catching himself while grinning smugly.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Get outta here. And don't come back until I'm not mad at you anymore," I replied. "You might be stuck out in New York for a while." He laughed and flew off with Iggy, following Omen's warp path to Central Park where they could land unseen. I sighed, shook my head and flew back into the room the kids were sleeping in to take watch.


	30. Chapter 30

Fang couldn't believe his luck. Max had actually let all of them go to a strip club. And she MINDED that he was going. On top of all that, his main man Iggy could finally see again. No more describing all the hot babes around them when Max wasn't. No more guiding him through crowded streets or having to shout out directions to him to make sure he didn't fly into a building or a plane.

Despite all the sexy girls around them, Fang couldn't help thinking about Max, about how she had stayed calm for the flock to keep them happy, how she had assured Nudge that Iggy would be all right even when his brains were falling out of the back of his head, and how happy she was that he could see. It had been one of her biggest concerns and fears that Iggy would get hurt because of his blindness. It was also one of the leading forces for her anger at the whitecoats alongside the whitecoats tossing them all in kennels, stealing any type of normal life they might've had, doing all kinds of painful and traumatic experiments on them, and kidnapping Max's baby, Angel. Fang knew they would still pay for making Iggy blind, but now he could see and right then, it was all that mattered to Max.

"Dude, are you even paying attention? That chica over there is totally checking you out!" Iggy shouted, over the noise. Fang flicked his eyes over the girl Iggy was talking about, smiled at her and shook his head.

"I gotta be faithful, Ig," Fang replied. "Max will kill me if I check out any of these girls."

"She ain't here is she?" Iggy replied. Fang could see the robot watching him with interest, waiting for his cue. He kept forgetting that the robot loved Max too, NOT. He wouldn't do anything that would make Max mad, but then Max HAD sent them here, with a kiss and a 'don't come back', but still.

"She'll know, Iggy. She always knows."

"Come on, man. Celebrate my eyesight with me!"

"You're fourteen dude!" Fang yelled back, and Iggy looked around in alarm.

"Quiet, you're gonna get us kicked out. Please, Fang. I hate watching you not watch all these pretty ladies." Fang sighed and nodded at Iggy's pleading eyes. It was the fact that they could actually see him while they pleaded that did it.

"All right, Ig, but if Max gets mad at me, you're explaining this."

"SHE'S the one who sent YOU here, Fang. Relax." Fang sighed again and looked up at the women in front of them, dancing on a pole on the stage with sultry eyes.

Omen scowled, but did not miss out on watching the stripper either. He was part human male after all and she was a sexy woman in barely any clothes making eyes at him. Max would not like this at all, but like the red-headed boy, Iggy, had said, Max was the one who had sent them there. Omen attempted to join the conversation, knowing that was why Max had sent him along, to become part of their group and succeeded. Within moments all three of them were laughing together and making dirty jokes. It irked him how kind Fang, ah, the boy, was turning out to be. He seemed to be making friends with the target which was NOT the way to go about things when you have to kill someone.

But he could not deny Fa-the boy's kindness or protectiveness over Max and the flock. Or his love for both of them and he especially could not deny that Fang was making an effort to befriend him. Omen berated himself harshly for using the target's name. He was getting to close to the boy. It would make his job hard to do and if he became close enough, it might even stop the mission all together. But it was too late. Omen could already feel the beginnings of friendship blossom between them.


	31. Chapter 31

"Max?" Angel called, sitting up with sleepy eyes.

"Oh honey. You didn't have another nightmare did you? Omen's not here right now to make them that bad," I replied, walking over to give her a hug.

"No. Why did the boys leave except for Gazzy?"

"They're doing something extra special just for boys to celebrate Iggy's seeing again."

"Oh. Good night, Max."

"Good night, sweetheart." She reached out a fist and I stacked mine on top of hers, smacking the back of both our fists. It had been a while since just the two of us did the bedtime stack. I didn't mind as long as there wasn't an ominous reason for there being only the two of us together at bedtime. She lay back down and I moved to the window to watch the sky and ground for intruders. Having only half the flock was making me antsy.

_Hello Max._

_Hey Voice. You wanna explain how Iggy healed so fast?_

_Sorry Maximum. That's classified. Top secret._

_Of course. Why did taking the chip out help Iggy see again?_ I heard a pause and hesitation in the Voice, but waited patiently. Fang was beginning to rub off on me. Normally I would still be pressing for answers.

_I knew he would be a good influence on you._

_Voice! Come on. Explainy things. _The Voice chuckled and I could almost feel a nod.

_All right Maximum. The chip that Nudge removed was meant to help Iggy see in the dark, but as you recall, the operation completely took away his eyesight._

_Right, right. I know all that. Why did taking it out help him see again though?_

_Someone, when they were programming the chip, edited it._

"What?" I screeched, out loud. I winced and looked around to see if I had woken the others. They turned, but stayed put. I would have to start training them to be light sleepers again. If I was a Flyboy or bad guy I could've already killed them all with barely a fight.

_What?_ I asked again, quieter and in my head this time. _Who?_

_I can't tell you that right now, but I CAN tell you what they did._

_Well, what did they do?_

_They changed the chip so that it would shut down all seeing parts of the brain until removed. The same person did the operation and she stuck in a small glass vial filled with a concoction that would break when the chip was removed and heal Iggy's head, even the brain part that got destroyed when the chip was removed._ I stayed quiet, unused to a chatty Voice or even a forthcoming one.

_Max?_

_So it was a girl. What's her name?_ I felt the Voice wince and then it pulled away. Darn it! I knew I shouldn't have said anything. A little while later, the boys came back, loud and rowdy beyond belief. I SO did not want to be pressed up against them for any reason right then, but I was glad to see Omen be so amiable with the others. He even had an arm thrown over Fang's shoulders.

"First watch Iggy. You volunteered, remember?" He groaned and took my seat, while I walked over to my sleeping bag, careful to avoid the other two. They came over anyway and Fang quickly taught Omen the bedtime stack. Watching the two of them get along was almost as wonderful as having Iggy see again.

"Good night everybody. And I DON'T want to hear about what all of you did tonight." They laughed and shared conspiratorial looks before slipping into their own sleeping bags with Iggy still on the window sill. I watched the guys fall asleep and Iggy stay alert, watching the world go by underneath him with awe, before letting myself rest.


	32. Chapter 32

I was surprised to wake up that morning, on my own. As usual I had volunteered to take a watch, but no one had woken me. Of course, Fang was the only one missing from his sleeping bag. I got up, looked around at my flock and then took off out the window and to the roof where Fang was sitting.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I asked, angrily. He quirked his lips and patted the piece of roof next to him, inviting me to sit down.

"Because you needed sleep. You've been watching over the flock too much," he replied.

"But that's my _job_, Fang. I'm supposed to watch the flock. They NEED me to watch over them." He sighed and turned his head around and up to look at me, standing behind him with my arms crossed.

"Everyone takes a break from their job, Max. Just sit down already." I grumbled, but complied. When Fang spread his arms, I leaned into his embrace, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Nudge said I'm like their mom. Moms work 24/7 to protect their kids and I won't be anything different." He sighed again then kissed the top of my head before resting his cheek against it.

"You're a kid too." I couldn't argue with that.

"I know that. Just-just let me take care of them though, okay? They need me."

"Okay." I smiled gratefully at him and returned my head to his shoulder. We sat like that all morning, watching the sunrise. It was beautiful, different than others we had watched together somehow. Maybe it was because we were together now. Almost at the same time as I thought, Fang lifted his head and I looked up at him. Such black eyes, like pools to his soul. Wow, forget I said that. Just because Fang and I were together did NOT mean that I wanted to get all poetic and sappy. He smiled, watching the thoughts cross my face and kissed me hard. I responded the same and grinned happily at him after he broke away. Yes, HE was the one that broke away, not me. Sigh. I was losing my touch.

"Max! Fang! You guys up there? We gotta get going if we're gonna make the early morning plane!" Iggy called. I sighed and sat up straight instead of leaning in for another kiss. Fang quirked his lips and slid off the edge of the building like you might if you were just sitting on a slightly too tall wall, throwing out his wings to catch himself.

"We're coming!" I called back and copied Fang, following him back into the building. All of them were up except Nudge, who was very successfully staying asleep despite their best attempts at waking her.

"Nudge! Come on. WAKE UP!" She just rolled over, groaning and waving her hands at them.

"Max. Help us wake her up," Angel pleaded. I don't wanna be late for our VACATION." I laughed and walked over, bending by Nudge's ear while the others backed up.

"Nudge honey?'

"Leave me 'lone," she grumbled.

"If you don't get up now, I'll think you need to start training to be a light sleeper again," I replied. Nudge shot up out of bed straight from laying down to standing up.

"I'm up. I'm up!" she cried. My flock laughed, including Omen and everyone started packing up what little they had unpacked.


	33. Chapter 33

Nudge and Total had convinced us (or rather, me and Fang) to ride the plane for real this time, using the Max Ride card. The only problem was that while we had money, we did NOT have ID's, passports, or anything else that might be needed to book a flight out of the country. Iggy and Gazzy remedied this by suggesting we find the Geek (or Mike) in the subway again. They had told me about meeting him when we separated. Fang seemed to think he was just the guy for faked ID's and passports. He was probably right.

"But how are we even going to find him?" I asked.

"We met him last in the subway didn't we?" Fang replied, tying Angel's shoes. I couldn't help going all gooey while I watched him take of her.

"Well, yeah bu-"

"Then that's where we're going to look for him."

"You last saw him in CALIFORNIA, Fang. How do you know he came back here?"

"I've been e-mailing him. There you go Ang." He patted her leg lightly after checking the knots on her shoes. Angel grinned at him and hopped up, pulling her backpack on.

"Thank you, Fang." He quirked his lips at her and stood up, turning to face me.

"I e-mailed him this morning to figure out where he was and to let him know we were coming." I sighed exasperatedly, then smiled at him.

"You just think of everything don't you?"

"Max! I can't get my backpack on over my wings!" Gazzy called. Fang kissed me lightly on the lips and followed me to the Gasman.

"Yep," he said. I rolled my eyes and held Gazzy still, while sliding the straps of his backpack over his wings.

"Bud, I think you're having a growth spurt," I told him. "You're wings don't fit flat on your back anymore." It was weird, almost as if his wings were growing faster than he was.

"Really?" Gazzy asked, craning his head over his shoulder to see his wings.

"Spread them out," Fang suggested. Gazzy waited until his backpack was all the way on and wouldn't interfere with his wings before uncoiling them. They had grown all right. From what I could tell they were almost as large as Fang's.

"Whoa!" Iggy exclaimed. "Dude your wings are HUGE." Gazzy beamed as he stared at his much longer wings.

"Fang, spread your wings too. I wanna see how long his are now." Fang complied, moving to stand even behind Gazzy. Iggy, Nudge, Angel, Omen, Total and I moved to the front of them, backing off so we could see their full wingspans. Gazzy's were almost a foot longer than Fang's.

"Gazzy's are bigger than Fang's," Nudge gasped. I was too shocked to say anything. Surprisingly, while Gazzy's wings were suddenly more than three times his height, it didn't look awkward or disproportionate at all.

"Aw man," Nudge continued. "Now he's gonna be your guys' kid with a humped back."


	34. Chapter 34

Immediately following what she said, Nudge went to her backpack and started pulling out her makeover supplies. It was like watching Mary Poppins with her suitcase. Makeup and clothes and shoes just kept coming out, until Nudge had a pile on the floor bigger than her backpack. I watched in open-mouthed wonder as she kept going.

"I gotta fix us all up anyway," she said, after seeing my face. "You guys are a mess and Fang has lipstick all over his mouth from kissing Max." I touched my mouth and then looked over at Fang, embarrassed. He shrugged and quirked his lips.

"Where'd you get all that stuff, Nudge?" I asked, trying to keep my tone down. She knew we had to pack light for being on the run. She just kept going through the pile and occasionally digging in her backpack for more makeover stuff.

"Mom gave it to me. I thought we might need it." Then she looked up and saw my face. I saw her pale and then start shoving everything but what she needed back into the backpack.

"Didn't I teach you to pack light?" I asked. "We're on the run, Nudge. We can't carry around an entire wardrobe." She tried smiling at me and failed.

"But we did end up needing it Max," she said quietly.

"How do you guys even hide this stuff?" I asked to the room as a whole. I knew Iggy and Gazzy had bombs on them for sure, something that had also come in helpful a ton of times, but I still didn't like the idea of a fourteen-year-old and an eight-year-old walking around with explosives on them. Then Fang had brought that iPod out of nowhere and who knew what the others had tucked away. When no one answered, I sighed and shook my head.

"We're gonna restart our training. The break we had staying with Mom and doing all those flights for CSM has made us weak and not prepared for any attacks."

"But, Max…" Nudge whined.

"No buts, Nudge. It took all of us to wake you up this morning. What if we had been Flyboys? You would've been killed. Remember? They're not looking for us to capture us anymore. They've been given the order to exterminate." This made everyone quiet. I felt bad for saying it, but it was the truth and I HAD to protect my flock.

"Now get your things together and let's go find Mike. Nudge, fix our disguises. Start with Gazzy and his extra-big wings." I smiled gently at both of them, to relieve some of the tension and went to pack my own backpack. Soon all of us were in new, clean clothes, courtesy of Nudge's magical bottomless backpack and Gazzy's larger than life wings were successfully hidden, not even showing as a lump. Nudge was a fashion genius and I made sure to tell her so as we flew to Central Park. She gushed the whole way. When we landed, Fang tapped my shoulder and pointed at an internet café just outside the park.

"Let's go there, so I can see if he's replied yet." I nodded and looped my arm in his, holding Angel's hand with my free one.

"Come on, kids!" I called. Fang rolled his eyes at me, but played along, putting a quick kiss on my cheek and waving at the others to catch up. He took Gazzy's hand, squeezing it and giving him a fatherly smile. What a great actor. Okay, shutting up now. The others walked ahead of us, and it was Iggy who had Total on a leash this time.

"Iggy's seeing helps more than we thought," Fang whispered, too low for anyone but us to hear. I sent him a questioning look with only my eyes, doing a subtle 360 at the same time.

"The bad guys are looking for five bird kids and a bird dog with one blind one. Now we have two normal adults, five kids and a normal dog, and none of them blind." I thought about it and beamed at him. We were safer than I had ever thought we were. Omen's presence and Iggy's sight were 'blessings in disguise'. We reached the internet café without incident and Fang sat down at a table, pulling out his laptop. The rest of us pulled chairs up to the table he was at or, like me stood behind him to watch the screen. Luckily it was an outside table so that we could all stay together and no one had to stand outside with Total. Fang logged in to his email and I was surprised to see no messages for his blog. They had numbered in the hundreds of thousands the last time he'd logged on around me. He glanced back at my small sound of surprise and confusion than back to the screen where he opened an email from geekazoidthethird.

"This is a different email account," he explained. "The one you saw is for my blog."

"Oh." He gave me a full smile, playing for anyone watching, then returned to the email, reading quickly.

"He's in New York. He'll meet us in the same subway as before." Fang read some more, typed a reply, then turned off the computer and packed up.

"Let's go," I said.


	35. Chapter 35

We took off, walking towards the closest bus stop. We had learned our way around the city last time or at least to an extent so that we knew where that subway was. We loaded onto the bus and rode to the stop closest to the same subway station we'd used last time. Now that I had declared reinstated training, I started watching the flock while doing my own security scans, looking for things that I would have to reinforce. Jeb had trained us the first time, but he'd also taught me how to keep up the training, probably in preparation for when he would leave us. Just the thought made me wonder how long he had known he would leave us eventually.

Mike the Geek was exactly where Fang had said he would be. He was even sitting on the long stone bench built into the far wall of the abandoned station where we had first met. He stood up when he saw us, grinning and carefully setting his laptop to the side.

"Hey. You guys clean up good. I was afraid I would have to make you over for the role Fang told me all of you would be playing," Mike said.

"Thank Nudge," I replied, waving at her. Mike beamed at her and nodded. Nudge blushed, a first I think.

"Wonderful job, Nudge. I couldn't have done better myself."

"Thank you." He smiled again then turned to Fang.

"All I need now is your guys' pictures in your disguises and you'll be good to go." Fang nodded and waved the flock forward.

"Are you gonna mess with my laptop again?" Mike asked, looking at me.

"Problem removed."

"Good," Mike said, while taking a camera out of a backpack I hadn't noticed was there. "Now whoever wants to go first, come over here. I have a backdrop set up. Then you'll need to change your clothes." Nudge nodded knowledgably and I raised questioning eyebrows at her.  
"No one wears the same clothes as their ID, Max. It would look like they just got their picture taken that day," she explained.

"Oh. Well all of us don't need our pictures do we? Fang and I are the only 'adults', right?"

"Right, but everyone needs a picture on their passports, so I need two of you and Fang. So who's going first?"

"Gazzy should," Nudge stated. "I need more time to fix him up." I was proud of her when she didn't explain why and relieved when Mike didn't ask.

"Okay then. Gazzy come over here." The Gasman walked forward and stood in front of a blue back drop, grinning at Mike and his camera. I moved around them to sit on the long stone bench, leaning my head on the wall behind me and closing my eyes. Fang sat down next to me, clasping my hand in his. I could tell it was him by his smell.

"Are you okay?" Fang whispered.

"Yeah. Just tired. We really need this vacation. I'm glad we're going somewhere we've never been before. There're too many memories here." I looked over at him and gave a small smile that didn't reach my eyes. Fang nodded and I closed my eyes again.

"How about I distract you?" he suggested. I felt warmth pass through me while I thought of the possibilities.

"That would be nice," I answered. He chuckled softly like he knew what I was thinking and put his arm around my shoulder.

"I think Nudge likes Mike," Fang stated. My eyes flew open and I looked over at them where Mike was snapping pictures of the flock while talking to Nudge. She was blushing and laughing, coyly twirling her hair. How weird. I felt like I should get up and stop this disaster before it started, but I was too tired, bogged down by memories of our last time in New York. The subway station was what was really bringing it all together. This was where we had slept while planning our mission into the heart of the School's files. It was also incredibly small by my reckoning.

"That's nice," I mumbled, leaning my head against Fang's shoulder. I felt him shift to look at me and after a while I opened my eyes. He looked way confused and super worried.

"Max? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just too much going on. I keep seeing the last time we came here when… when I killed Ari. It makes me sleepy for some reason." Fang's eyes softened and he kissed my forehead.

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to take care of Nudge for you?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nah. She's a romantic. Let her be. It's not like we're gonna see him again anytime soon." He nodded and settled back against the wall, shifting his arms so we were both more comfortable and he was holding me with both arms. I missed Ari so much. He was my brother according to Jeb and he had died the second time trying to protect us, but not because he was trying to protect us. His time had come, as we had seen by the date on the back of his neck, a preprogrammed demise. I shivered and rubbed the back of my neck, causing Fang to hold me tighter.

"Hey! Lovebirds! I need you two over here now. You're gonna have to change clothes twice," Mike called. Fang and I looked up at Mike and Nudge, standing impatiently and staring at us. I patted Fang's arm and stood up to walk over to them and the backdrops. Fang followed.


	36. Chapter 36

Within thirty minutes of getting everyone's pictures, Mike had all of our passports and ID's ready and waiting. He had also thoughtfully created some fake papers for Total so that he could come. All of us were in different clothes than the ones we had started out in and we were headed to where we had bought the hazelnuts and gotten directions to the airport. Fang still had the directions on his arm, but they started from that store. We walked on the other side of the street until we had to cross to make a turn so that the owner wouldn't see us. I didn't think he would take too kindly to the 'family of criminals' from yesterday.

Once again no one questioned our disguises. In fact, we were probably some of the most normal-looking people in New York. It seemed somehow easier to play our roles now that we had ID. To take care of Total's transportation, we had Iggy hold his leash, pretending to be blind once again. With past experience he would be the best at it. The thing was, we didn't want Total separate from us and we didn't want to have to put him in a kennel. He was just as claustrophobic as us bird kids because of the whitecoats and what they had done. Plus I think it was just the natural animal aversion to being locked in a cage. But those dumb scientists had SO MUCH to atone for if I had anything to say about it and you can bet that I did.

Anyhow, we reached the airport without incident, and Total, posing as Iggy's seeing eye dog, was allowed to stay with us on the plane. Unfortunately, we had to unload almost all of our food supplies because of all the terrorist attack scares. Fang assured me that we could buy more in Greece, but I wasn't sure after hearing the price for our tickets. The whole flock had insisted on first class seats for the lot of us. Surely the Max Ride card couldn't handle all of this AND more food supplies. I think that airport security would've been suspicious of us if we hadn't been a whole family complete with two parents, five kids, and a dog. Of course, Nudge probably didn't help their suspicions, being dark-skinned while the rest of us were pale, but the ole adoption story helped cover that.

I loved watching my flock exclaim over the delights of first class flight and laughed at their antics. Luckily it matched my role, because I wasn't in the mood to contain my joy for pretend. I could hardly believe we were finally getting a VACATION. It was almost too much to bear, but it was real and it was happening. Each of our moods infected the others until we were bouncing in our seats. Even Fang people! That's telling you something.

Eventually I managed to flag down a flight attendant and got the flock to order food. Eating seemed to help us calm down and afterwards, everyone fell asleep, besides me. Even with all the extra space in first class, I felt extremely claustrophobic and on edge. The exhaustion of before in the subway was gone. I was glad to see Fang sleeping though. Apparently he had stayed up all night after coming back from the strip joint, watching over the flock along with Iggy, and then later by himself, and emailing Mike the Geek at the internet café we had gone to that morning. I let his head rest on my shoulder as he snoozed and watched to make sure that he didn't go invisible. That would be a bad thing to do on a public plane. Iggy sat on my other side with Total at his feet and right then, he was the only one awake besides me.

"Max?" he whispered. Most of the passengers were asleep by then, only a few near the front of the first class section were awake, reading books or watching the repeated movie on the screen at the very front.

"Hmm?" I replied, absently stroking Fang's hair. It was soft and oh so dark under my fingers.

"I-I kinda miss being blind," he continued. I turned slightly to look at Iggy. He still had his blind act up, but I could tell he felt nervous about what he was saying.

"Why? I thought that's what you really wanted."

"Well… It's just so… STRANGE. I mean, I'm just not used to seeing anymore. Sometimes I have to close my eyes so I can do stuff, like eat." I had noticed that earlier, but hadn't commented.

"Iggy," I started, fumbling for words. "I wish that seeing didn't have to be so hard for you, when it used to be and it should've been just something natural that you took for granted. You'll get used to it eventually. You always do when there's some new changes." He smiled in my general direction and I'm sorry to say that his fake, blank eyes felt more comfortable than his seeing ones. I wasn't used to it either.

"Now try and get some sleep, Ig. We're vacationing tomorrow." He laughed and settled into his seat, leaning it back slightly for a more comfortable position. While I watched him fall asleep, I worried about him. I could only hope that he got used to seeing again. At least it hadn't taken a mutated power for him to regain his sight in the end. That would've been the icing on the cake for my feelings about the whitecoats. More and more, I was thinking about gaining our revenge on the whitecoats. Was this what the Voice had meant about fighting to save the world on my own power after vacation?


	37. Chapter 37

Omen listened with interest and love as Max reassured Iggy about his uneasiness with seeing again. She was so like a mother, watching carefully over her flock to make sure they stayed safe and happy, or at least as happy as they could be under the circumstances. If only he could save both her and the flock while killing her at the same time.

"… You'll get used to it eventually. You always do when there's some new changes," Omen heard. He listened to Max, and his resolve hardened. If there was a way to save them all, he would've figured it out, but he hadn't found one yet. Omen was a highly developed life form with hundreds of times the brain capacity of a regular human. If he couldn't find a way, no one could. He would get used to the change of killing someone he cared about. The boy, Fang, would be dead.

"Now try and get some sleep, Ig," Max added. "We're vacationing tomorrow." Omen grinned and turned over slightly in his pretend sleep so Max couldn't see. The flock would be vacationing tomorrow. Omen, however, would be killing. He figured that he could survive the boy's death much easier than he could survive Max's.

Our plane had lifted off at about one o'clock in the afternoon, so we got to Greece almost at ten with one change of planes. The lot of us slept almost the whole way and when we finally got out of the crowded, hot, noisy, TERRIFYING airport, and eventually to a hotel, all of us collapsed in one big heap on the floor, not even making it to the beds or even our separate rooms. I guess you could say that claustrophobia and people-phobia really tired us out. I didn't even bother trying to set up a watch schedule for the night.

Fang was the one to wake me up the next morning. I woke quickly, sitting up and looking for intruders and the rest of my flock. It wasn't hard to find the flock as they were sleeping in a dog-pile all around and slightly on top of me and Fang would've woken all of us up if there any bad guys around.

"What is it?" I whispered. He quirked his lips and gently removed me from the pile without disturbing them.

"Fang, what's going on? Is something wrong? I can't BELIEVE we fell asleep without someone to watch or checking the room." I felt frustration flood up, but Fang pressed his lips against mine hard and that went away along with just about every other sensible thought I had ever had.

"Mmm," I said into his mouth. I felt him chuckle against my lips and pull me out of the hotel room, mouth still on mine. Fang pulled away, breaking the kiss. My sensibilities came back with the absence of his lips.

"Fang, wha-" He pulled me close again and smothered my words with another, deeper kiss. I was barely intelligent by the time he quit. Hopelessly in love? Me? Naw.

"Look. We're in Greece," he whispered, stepping away and waving his arm in a large sweeping motion. I gasped as I focused on the vista before me. We had been too tired the night before to notice much more than the heavily accented directions we had gotten from an airport flight attendant on break and the actual street signs to get us to the hotel. Now I saw Greece and I could hardly believe my eyes.

All I could see was green and further away a sparkling blue that was just too... Blue to be the ocean even though I knew it was. Packed tight around us were buildings and stairs and chimneys all in white like an architect's building model for a M. C. Escher type city. I turned to Fang with what I'm sure was a very flattering face.

"Fang, it's beautiful!" I gasped. Fang gave me a full, out loud laugh as I hugged him with my eyes still on the scene. I wasn't ready to look away from Greece.

"Wait," I said, "You could've just explained why you wanted me to come."

He grinned at me as he answered, "I just wanted to surprise you. AND I wanted you to be quiet." I scowled and punched his arm then buried my head into the crook of his neck, sighing blissfully. Fang squeezed his arms tighter around me and rested his head on mine.


	38. Chapter 38

God, he loved Max. Just seeing the look on her face when she first saw Greece had been... Breathtaking. Now she was cradled in Fang's arms, seeming happier and more relaxed than he had seen her in ages. Fang held Max loving the feel of her in his arms and the smell of her hair against his cheek. God, I'm getting sappy.

"We've barely been here a whole day and I'm already glad we're on vacation," Max mumbled into his neck.

"I told you that you needed one." He felt her smile and place a small kiss on his neck.

"I love you Max."

"I love you Max." I felt happiness flood me as Fang spoke. I lifted my head and smiled up at him.

"I love you too." I'm sure we both looked like lovesick fools, but of course we were too far gone to care. Iggy walked out, covered his eyes, and turned away.

"Jeez, can't you two control yourselves? Get a room or something," he shouted.

"You were IN the room," Fang deadpanned. Iggy turned pale at that.

"Come on Ig," I said, "We weren't doing anything."

"If you coulda seen the looks you guys had on your faces you'd be sick to your stomach now too." Fang and I shared a confused look before I pulled away to stand on my own, reassuming my job as boss, flock mother, and guardian.

"Go wake the others Ig. We'll be in there in a minute then all of us can get breakfast and start our vacation. He nodded and turned around, headed back into the room. I watched him go than pulled Fang against me so I could put my arms around his waist. He smiled and bent to kiss me again, gentler this time. When we broke apart, I rested my forehead against his.

"So does this mean you're not mad at me about the hard-on thing anymore?" he asked. I scream-groaned in frustration and punched him before stalking away.

"I am now that you reminded me. Pervert!" I heard his full out laugh again as I slammed the hotel door behind me. Grr. Why did he keep having to ruin the moment?

We got breakfast at the hotel's bar, watching our intake so it looked regular. We wanted to stay here awhile, not get kicked out for eating all their food and we had adopted the habit of eating less at more places. Omen's idea really seemed to be working for us. Then we went sightseeing. I made sure we went in turns when picking somewhere to go. The Parthenon, which was Total's choice, especially amused us. It was the only anything historic that we went to and inside, a winged goddess was held by another one without wings, but was MUCH bigger. Her wings seemed surprising accurate, though admittedly too small to hold her.

"What if she was real?" Nudge gasped. "Maybe she could've been our great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandma!" I sighed and rubbed my forehead, trying to remember the meaning of the word 'great'.

"Let's ask about her," Fang offered, while lifting Angel up on his hip. Nudge beamed at him and they walked together to try and find a tour guide or someone that spoke English. I rolled my eyes and turned to Iggy, Gazzy, and Omen. I would have to shoot down that notion of Nudge's down later.

"Okay, Joseph. We're just about done here, I think. Where do you wanna go?" I said to Iggy.

"Aw man. Come on, Mom. He got to pick everywhere we went back in New York," Gazzy whined. It was still hard to contain the urge to look around for a motherly figure every time they called me 'mom'.

"That was a special occasion. Now everyone gets an equal turn," I replied. Gazzy crossed his arms and grumbled, but stopped whining.

"Come on now, Tom," I cooed. "Don't be upset. You had your turn right before Talia, remember?" He nodded grudgingly.

"Could you please just be nice for awhile?" I asked. The Gasman knew that if it weren't for our disguises I would've yelled at him for whining already. I could see the smirk he was trying to hide. Yep. Just milk it up, Gazzy-boy because you are gonna get it later mister. I smiled sweetly at him as I whispered words too low for regular human hearing, hiding the movement with the smile.

"Gazzy, I am _so_ gonna get you when we get back to the hotel. Now start behaving or it'll be all the worse for ya." Gazzy suddenly broke out in a grin and hugged me. He wasn't scared though. There was still that mischievous glint to his eye. I smiled back at him, stood up straight and looked at Iggy.

"Well, sweetheart. Do you know where you wanna go?" Fang came back then and pecked me on the cheek before sitting Angel back on her feet.

"The winged lady is Nike the goddess of victory," he said. "That was all I could get out of the tour guide without paying him for a whole tour. Well, Joseph?" He turned to Iggy.

"The beaches." Nudge squealed and clapped her hands.

"The beaches it is then," I said.

Okay guys I need a quick bit of input for you. for the next two hours or so I need y'all to put in your thoughts on whether or not I should step up the level of faxness (past kissing but not all the way). I'm can make it happen sooner or later from where I am in writing part thirty nine, but I want to know what you think. So far I have four comments from the maximum ride website where I also post this:

"i think.......you should kick it up a little but not to much" -vamp princess

"i think that you should make them long enough to know BOTH of their feelings about it! like Fang AND Max! We need to hear some of fangs thoughts too!!!" -Katie Stevens

"More than kisssing and hugs, lets move the relationship on!! (more passion too!)" -Max&Fang Lover

"Move it a little past if you wish, but only a little. remember, _**the blog admins are watching!**_

IMPORTANT: Do not sacrifice your plot for an endless flood of Max&Fang romance. Romantic scenes are a spice, not a story." -EndOfTheWorld

Do you agree? Or do you not? Let me know so I can finish writing and post the next part soon. Thanks 


	39. Chapter 39

We ended up spending the rest of the day at the beach, with the young ones wanting to stay, and Fang choosing not to choose our next place. I would've done the same. The Max Ride card covered the cost for swimsuits, though I was sure there were nude beaches if we wanted to go to them. I made sure we didn't.

As the sun set and people left, we stayed, enjoying the privacy which we had missed during the day. None of us liked being around regular people, especially in mass amounts for long periods of time. Iggy was awestruck by the sunset, staring like a blind man that could suddenly see (pun intended) while Fang helped Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel build sandcastles and Omen sat next to me on the sand. I watched Fang with the younger kids and felt that goofy grin start spreading across my face. He was just so perfect.

"You really love him?" I jumped and looked sideways at Omen. He had his face downturned and was playing with a bit of sea plant.

"Yeah, I love him," I replied softly. What was it Angel had said? "He's not going to kill you Max. He's in love with you." Oh man, he was hurting!

"I love you too," I added. "Just in a different way."

"Would it kill you if he died?" Omen asked. I froze, staring at him.

"Are you going to kill him?" Blunt and to the point. That's me. Omen blanched then moved his hands around as if trying to find the words.

"Fang is my friend," he said eventually. "Why would I kill him?" I scowled. That wasn't a real rising "no".

"Because your brain's telling you over and over again to kill me but you love me and think killing Fang will save you from having to put the bullet in me." He sighed looking hurt but not denying it.

"I only want to keep you safe Max. This is in case the urge becomes too strong. I-I will not kill him if I can control myself."

"Don't kill him at all!" I felt my voice rising but plowed on anyway. "If you kill anyone it'll be me because I won't let someone else die for me!" Omen flinched and the others turned their heads to look at me.

"All right, Maximum. I will not kill him," Omen stated. I felt myself suddenly deflate. That had been easy. I just wasn't used to anyone just agreeing with me like that. It made me suspicious.

"You promise that?" I asked.

"Yes." I stared at him with blank eyes before turning to the rest of my flock who had stopped what they were doing to watch in confusion. Fang looked angry, but I wasn't sure. He was hiding from me more than usual.

"Are you guys ready to go home?" I asked. Nudge and Angel nodded and got up, brushing off sand so they could put at least their pants and shoes back on. The others copied them and we all headed back to the city in silence. Sleeping arrangements were awkward after the beach scene, but we managed and soon they all fell asleep. I had taken first watch. I would probably end up staying up all night thinking about what to do about Omen. Maybe Nudge with her super computer skills could cut in his head and delete whatever the whitecoats had done to him. He had said that they TYPED "kill Max" in his brain, but maybe he was just guessing. Doing that while he was awake was just cruel. Wait, what am I saying? These are the WHITECOATS I'm talking about. Mean and cruel was right up their alley.

_Hello Maximum._

_Hey Voice. Long time, no hear. I might even have missed you a little bit._ The Voice chuckled softly in my brain and I felt it's smile.

_I've missed you too, Max, but I didn't want to interrupt your vacation._

_Then why are you here now? We're still on vacation aren't we? I thought you said _I'd_ be the one that started us up on saving the world again and that's not likely to happen anytime soon._

_You've been wondering about what to do with Omen. Don't worry, Max. He won't kill Fang._

_He won't?_

_No, he won't._ I felt a flood of relief and settled into my perch on the hotel roof. It had been extremely hard to get up here without being seen. We were on an island for goodness sakes! Not many places you could rise into the sky without at least someone seeing you dark against the always blue sky. The dark of night had helped though.

"Max?" Fang appeared over the edge of the roof. I patted the bit of roof next to me and watched him settle next to me.

_I'll leave you two alone. Don't worry about Omen, Max. He will not kill Fang._

_Thanks, Voice. I really needed that._

_I know._ The Voice sent me another sightless smile then pulled away. I turned to Fang and frowned. He still looked angry.

"What is it?" I asked. "You're angry." He let his shields down revealing a very angry scowl.

"You told him to kill you today," he stated. I sighed and glanced down at my hands.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah? Yeah is all you can say? I don't want to lose you, Max!" I stayed quiet and let him rant. How could I not? I felt the same way about him and would probably react the same way.

"You promised me, remember? You wouldn't get hurt or killed, or leave!" He stopped there, waiting for my reply.

"He would've killed you instead. Or one of the others. They're my babies, Fang. And you-" This time I stopped, not sure what I could say that would cover all my feelings for me. He turned to me, curious now.

"What am I, Max?"

I blushed as I answered, "You're my everything."


	40. Chapter 40

Fang's eyes softened and his whole face just relaxed, speaking love with his expressions. I blushed even more and turned back to my hands, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. His hand touched my face and turned me so my eyes met his before he bent over and kissed me.

"I want to take you out tomorrow," he whispered, with our lips only a hair's breath away from each other. My brain was having trouble processing the words. Our mouths were so close that we could kiss again if we wanted to. Mmm. Kissing Fang… Whoa! Bad Max! Think! What did he say?

"What?" I mumbled, pulling back so I could think clearly this time. This could be a distraction if we were attacked. I would have to make sure to not pay attention to him during fights. That would be EXTREMELY difficult.

"I want to take you out tomorrow," he repeated. "Just us. The others can break off into groups too and go exploring."

"Fang… I don't like splitting up the flock. You know that. It's not safe for any of us."

"You did so that Iggy could go to the strip joint," he offered. "And after the hard-on thing. None of us got hurt then." I groaned.

"Those were special occasions," I argued. We were sitting up straight on our own now and I noticed that I was once again doing my regular 360 scans of the area. I had stopped doing them when Fang appeared. He definitely had a bad effect on me. He sighed and did one of his own, slightly more subtle area checks.

"Don't worry, Max. I've been watching while you were… distracted." He gave me a small, smug smile and I frowned.

"Don't tell me you're not… distracted the same way I am."

"I am. I'm just better at controlling myself," he replied, his smug smile widening. I growled then Fang put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into the curve of his arm and body, holding me tight.

"If you let me take you out tomorrow, it WILL be a special occasion," he whispered. "It'll be our first date." I raised my head off his shoulder and looked up at him.

"That sounds completely wrong for us. I mean, we're bird kids. We don't go on dates, do we? It sounds too… normal." Fang gave me one of those rare (though they were becoming less so every day lately) full laughs and kissed my forehead.

"It won't be wrong. I promise. That is, if you'll let me take you?" I smiled and nodded before resting against him again. A few minutes later I started laughing.

"What?" Fang asked.

"As if you could force me to do anything," I teased, reminding him of that morning back in the hotel in Texas, when he'd talked of how he would've forced me to take a vacation if I had said no. Fang looked confused then surprised before he laughed with me too. If only he didn't hide himself all the time. I loved seeing the real Fang, the one behind all the blank faces and one word sentences and I was glad I could bring that Fang out of him. We relaxed against each other again, watching out for our flock together like a real mom and dad might watch the house while their kids slept. Nudge had picked just the right roles.


	41. Chapter 41

Fang and I did end up getting some sleep that night with Iggy taking second watch. I was also still the first one up. By the way, remind me to kill Iggy with a flamethrower for falling asleep during a watch shift. Grr. That boy may suddenly be able to see, but that didn't mean he was allowed to fall asleep on the job. Those were our lives he was risking.

Everyone loved Fang's idea of going out on our own today, though I was biting my fingernails the whole time they talked, arranging who they were going with and talking about where. Once again, these were their lives I was risking and all for some time alone with Fang. It made me want to call the whole thing off and make everyone go together again today, but it had already wrapped around their minds and raised their excitement. Fang was at least kind enough and smart enough to make sure that they went in two or more. I sent him a grateful look for that.

"You are going with Fang?" Omen asked, using his stilted voice. I nodded.

"Yeah. Who are you going with, Omen?" He paused as if in thought.

"I think I will go alone today. Before you argue about my safety, Max, I must tell you that I spent three days on my own before I made contact with you and yours," he stated. I sighed, but had to oblige.

"You're right. Be safe though, okay? I don't want anyone getting hurt." I think he was surprised that I worried about his safety because he raised his eyebrows, but he didn't question it, just reassured me.

"Max, I was built to last," he replied. "I can survive many, many things that even you cannot. I will be all right." I smiled and hugged him, eliciting another surprised face from him.

"Go have fun, Omen," I said. He smiled back, a stilted smile just like the way he spoke. The groups ended up being: Nudge, Angel and Total, Iggy and Gazzy, Omen by himself, and then Fang and me. Before everyone split up, we got directions to a cell phone store and bought four phones on some kind of special plan using the Max Ride card. Most likely we would only be able to use them in Greece, but we could cancel our account before we left. I wanted to be able to stay in contact with my flock. I also withdrew money for each of the groups at several different ATM's. It amazed me that the card seemed to have no limit, and the balance never seemed to change. Who, or what, was filling it back up every time? With the money, I gave instructions.

"Joseph, Tom, if either of you two blow anything up or set anything on fire, I WILL know about it and I will KICK your guys' BUTTS." The last bit was too low for any regular humans to hear, but the guys still knew I meant business. They grinned innocently at me and I frowned, pausing before handing them the money they seemed all too eager to get.

"I don't mind if you girls buy a ton of stuff, but it better not be in the stuff we take with us when we finish our vacation, understood?" I was careful to give Total an eyeful too, letting him know I meant the same for him without any passerby realize I was talking to a dog. Nudge and Angel nodded while Total scratched at his ear. I handed Omen his money without comment and stepped back to look at them all.

"Oh, I love you guys," I said, gushing in a very un-Max-like way. "Be safe, watch out for each other and check in with us every hour, okay?" Once again, I was glad this was considered motherly behavior because I didn't think I would've been able to keep from worrying out loud even if it wasn't. Iggy groaned, but everyone agreed and I hugged them all before they went off in their different directions. I watched until they all disappeared around corners or into buildings and sighed.

"Don't worry, Mel. They'll be safe." I looked over at Fang and smiled. Man, these fake names were hard to remember. It had been just as hard in DC.

"I hope so," I replied, turning my attention back to where my flock had disappeared. I was worried for all of them. Even Omen. He was like a child in the way he tried to please me all the time and his way of speaking was strained as if it was hard to remember how. I just wanted to protect him. That's me. Maximum Ride, defender of the weak, savior of the world, and the one all the bad guys wanted to be friends with.

What was I doing? We were on VACATION. I was supposed to be ENJOYING myself and relaxing. I wiped away the sadness of my mission, of Ari, of my past, and of Omen's, focusing my eyes once again on Fang. He was much closer this time, looking concerned.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah. Just worrying too much." I smiled then grabbed Fang's hand, pulling him close for a kiss and a hug.

"So where are you taking me?" I questioned. Fang beamed and slid his arm around my shoulders, moving so we stood side by side and were walking down the street.

"It's a surprise," he stated.

"I thought so. Could you at least give me a hint?"

"Well, first we need to find someone who speaks English."

"Why?"

Fang's smile grew wider, a feat for him as he answered, "We need directions to get there, don't we?" I scowled.

"I don't know. You haven't told me where we're going yet." He laughed again, loud and full. I know you're getting tired of hearing this, but that was a lot for Fang and it warmed me somewhere deep in my heart to know I was the only one that could get him to do that besides Angel sometimes if she was being especially cute. I smiled and laughed too, forgetting my frustration with him before we headed off down whatever long-winded, Greek-lettered name street we were on, looking for someone with English directions. At least I didn't have to worry about that age-old argument between men and women about map or directions.


	42. Chapter 42

"Wait outside, Mel," Fang demanded.

"But, Nick," I whined. We were in a store that sold American products and had helpfully provided an English speaking Greek as well. The woman in question looked at us with confusion and maybe a little worry.

"I don't want you to hear where we're going," he argued. "It's a surprise, remember?" I huffed and glanced at the woman's face, watching her face subtly to see if she understood that Fang wasn't bossing me, just trying to be nice to me. I was glad to see her look of understanding and relief. Fang's face showed that he had seen her expressions too. It was probably why he had thrown that in." I huffed and crossed my arms.

"What if I don't like surprises," I said, using a slightly teasing voice.

"Then there's no point in today and we can just go somewhere to eat," Fang stated. I beamed and pointed my finger at him, playfully. Playing husband and wife was turning out to be fun.

"Aha!" I yelled. "So we're not going out to eat." Fang rubbed his face with not-entirely-fake exasperation.

"Melanie…" he sigh-warned. I GIGGLED then left, making sure to kiss his cheek before heading out of the store. Fang's lips were quirked as I let the door close behind me. I just hoped the cashier woman wasn't going to flirt with him.

Nudge was gleefully happy, walking on her own with Angel and Total. For once, Max had let them go out without her. She could get SO many supplies with the money Max had given her and see everything she wanted to see without having to go see what the others wanted. Angel seemed too preoccupied with something to care where they were going and Total had the same tastes as her.

Just to make sure, Nudge asked, "Where do you wanna go Angela?" Angel frowned and concentrated on Nudge instead of her feet.

"Wherever you want, Talia," Angel said before letting her eyes glaze over again. It was a good thing Nudge was holding Angel's hand or she would've lost her in the crowd. What had her so distracted?

"Isn't it so adorable how Max and Fang are on their first date? It's so CUTE," she gushed, talking to both Total and Angel. "Do you think they're gonna get married for real? That would be so cool. And then they could adopt us and then they could really be our parents and we could live in a house like Mom has, only she would be our grandma and we could all make cookies together and then they could have a little baby and we could take care of it and feed it and change its diapers. Well, not change its diapers. We'll let one of the guys do that." Nudge wrinkled her nose and kept talking, hiding her responses to Total's whispered sentences as more gushing. Angel stayed quiet the whole time even after several attempts by both girl and dog to get her to talk. What was up with Angel?

Iggy was beaming ear to ear, strolling down the street with Gazzy at his side. Man, him and the Gasman were SO gonna have some fun with this money and Gazzy's new power. What could be better for a couple of pyros than for one of them to have the power to create flame?

"Dude, what are we gonna do?" Iggy asked. "We have a whole day to ourselves with two hundred bucks in the middle of Greece? Think we could make two hundred bombs? You know buying the ingredients for each one using only a dollar?"

"Man, I don't think it's a good idea to do anything without Max in our sights. She's physic or something and she appears EVERYWHERE. Plus we're in GREECE. It's a small island in the middle of the ocean. There's nowhere for us to run if she catches us." Iggy gazed down at the blonde boy, thrilling at the fact that he could. Seeing! Wow, he had forgotten how amazing the ability to see was.

"You're getting scared on me, Gazzy. Remember that bomb we made when the Erasers came to the house?" Gazzy nodded.

"That was awesome," he agreed. They kept walking, talking about various bombs and the explosions they had made. Maybe, Iggy thought, there would be even better stuff for making bombs here in Greece.

Omen hid out of sight until everyone had gone their own ways then gave a sigh of relief. He was afraid they would question him wanting to be on his own, especially after the scene at the beach the day before, but Max seemed completely at ease with him. "Be safe," she had said. She truly cared about him, despite all that had happened. Such a thing amazed Omen. She really, truly cared about him, Omega 2.0, Omen.


	43. Chapter 43

"You got directions now?" I asked as Fang stepped out of the store. He nodded and smiled.  
"Yep. Come on." I scowled at his lack of elaboration and walked next to him, staying half a step behind so I knew where to go. Suddenly, Fang groaned, rolled his eyes, pulled me forward so I stood next to him. Embarrassingly, I squeaked in surprise when he grabbed me.  
"You can walk next to me, Max," he said, a smirk on his face.  
"Not if I'm following you because I don't know where to go," I argued. "Can't you just tell me?"  
"Nope. However if you know the layout of Greece well, telling you the girl said it's about a twenty minute walk would be a big clue," Fang offered.  
"Well I don't."  
"Then you'll just have to wait and be surprised." He smiled and pulled me close for a kiss. I couldn't exactly argue with him if my mouth was already preoccupied. I think he knew that.  
"Not fair," I whispered when he ended the kiss. "I was arguing with you and then you had to go and kiss me." Fang laughed and kissed me again, a short, sweet one this time. It was almost becoming habit now to respond in the same way. He pulled away again and I sighed.  
"All right. I'll stop being a pest. Can we just go now so I can see what the big surprise is?"  
"Not even any Valium this time," he teased and I punched him in the arm, before looping our arms together and letting him lead us down the street. The walk to wherever we were going turned out to take more thirty minutes due to Fang constantly getting confused by the street names and our constant stops to check out the shops and kiss. I didn't mind though.  
"Close your eyes," Fang demanded when he realized we had only one more turn left. I crossed my arms, deciding I wouldn't let his kisses make me change my mind.  
"Now, you're just being cheesy. I don't wanna trip!" Fang grabbed both my hands and gently unwrapped my arms.  
"Please?" Gasp! Fang had puppy-dog eyes too? No way! And they were so cute and pleading and…  
"Oh all right," I grumbled. "I didn't know you could do that. Just don't let me fall, okay?"  
"You won't fall." I growled something sarcastic back at him and closed my eyes, jumping when Fang put his hand over them to make sure I didn't peek. Aw man. That was just what I was hoping to do.  
"Walk forward," he instructed and I listened. Fang started instructing less and less as whatever connection we had that let us understand each other just by expression grew stronger and stronger. At one point the air around us grew colder and it was darker inside my eyelids. I almost opened my eyes to see what had happened, but Fang quickly explained, keeping his hand over my eyes.  
"We're inside now, Max. Nothing to worry about."  
"Well, are we there yet?" I asked.  
"Almost," he replied, quietly. I guessed we were in some kinda of tourist attraction. Either that or we weren't allowed where we were. Another few turns and then Fang suddenly stopped, making me knock into his hand.  
"Ow! Fang!" I complained. "Couldn't you have given me a warning or something?"  
"We're here," he explained. "Besides, I thought you said you would quit being a pest." I scowled, trying to turn my head so he could see it.  
"We can just turn around and go back to the hotel if you really don't wanna see this," Fang said. Too late. He had already peaked my curiosity. How could I turn around now without figuring out where he had brought me.  
"Okay. Will you please let me see where we are?" I asked, voice full of sweetness.  
"All right," he replied.


	44. Chapter 44

When Fang pulled his hand away, I… was disappointed. We were in a Greek building just like any other Greek building. Nothing seemed special about this place and after all of the buildup, it was like expecting a cupcake and getting a muffin. Excuse the food metaphors. We hadn't eaten yet and I'd been up an hour.

"Um…" I said, trying to think of how to say that this wasn't all that great.

"This is the temple of Nike," Fang said. "Remember that winged goddess we saw yesterday in the really big one's hand? This is her temple. The tour guide told me about it."I looked around and found images of the winged goddess everywhere, suddenly understanding why he thought it was amazing.

"I looked her up on the laptop too and she's kinda like you, Max."

"How? Aside from the wings."

"Well, she was a 'fit young woman with wings' who was a 'very fast runner, swift flyer' and something about charioteering. She was also inconsistent and capricious." Fang grinned teasingly at the last one. I rolled my eyes at him and strolled over to one of the little plagues that explained stuff. Luckily there was an English translation underneath.

"She has three brothers," I read. "Zelos, Kratos, and Bia, which are, respectively, rivalry, strength, and force. That must be you guys. Iggy's definitely rivalry. He starts all the fights."

"Then Gazzy's force."

"Why?"

"Have you BEEN near him right after a fart lately, Mel?" Fang asked. I crinkled my nose.

"Oh yeah," I conceded. "And that leaves you with strength for always pretending to be the strong, silent type."

"Pretending!" Fang yelled in mock-hurt, his voice echoing around the temple. I was glad no one else was there. "I'm no poser." I laughed and pulled him to me for a kiss, slow and long, melting both of us where we stood.

When we broke apart I said, "Yeah, but we both know that isn't the real you." He quirked his lips.

"It also said that even though her father's a titan, making her half-titan, she fought against them on the Olympians' side," I told him, remembering it off of the plague.

"Like you and Jeb," he whispered. I nodded, feeling sad, then heard something ringing and realized it was one of the phones we had bought. The guard stationed in the temple was already glaring at us for the loud noise and public display of affection, so Fang and I moved outside to answer. Had it really already been an hour?

"Man, this is gonna be perfect," Iggy declared. They were walking quickly through Greece in one direction. Gazzy beamed, eyes sparkling with admiration at Iggy. It had been his idea after all.

"Now remember, we call Max at exactly one minute before the bomb goes off okay?" Gazzy nodded and pulled out the cell phone in preparation. On a cliff over half an hour away, sat a bomb with a timer on it. They would call Max the minute before it went off to establish their location so if Max heard anything about it, she couldn't say it was them.

"I can't wait," Gazzy gushed. Iggy smiled and checked the time on the phone.

"It's time, Gaz. Call her." He quickly put in the number and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?" Max said on the other line.

"Hey, Mom. We're right outside the hotel now. We decided to drop off the stuff we bought." And they really had purchased some items to make it look real.

"Is Iggy there?"

"Yeah."

"Put him on." Gazzy handed the phone over, just as the bomb's timer clicked down to zero.

Nudge pulled Angel along, making sure that she didn't lose her in the crowd. Already their hands were laden down with shopping bags, so holding Angel's was even harder than it had been before.

"Come on, Ang," Nudge puffed, dodging around the flow of people while still keeping both Angel and the bags in her hands. "We gotta stop at the hotel to drop these off and we should probably take a break to call Ma- Mom. Besides, I'm STARVING." Angel looked up with surprise.

"It's been an hour already?" she asked.

"Yeah. Where you been all day? I've been talking to you this whole time and you've barely answered me."

"It doesn't matter. We need to get to Max now!" Nudge was surprised by Angel's vehemence. Suddenly, Angel was the one pulling Nudge through the crowd and poor Total was nearly choked by the leash and collar set several times. What was Angel doing? Couldn't they just call Max?

"Can't I just call her?" Nudge called.

"No! No, DON'T call her," Angel commanded and Nudge shook her head. What was Angel thinking? Max was going to freak if they didn't call.

"I'm calling her, Angel," Nudge said, allowing Angel to speed ahead, losing grip of Nudge's hand as Nudge pulled out the cell phone and dialed Max.

"No!"


	45. Chapter 45

"What was that?" I yelled, feeling, more than seeing the explosion in the far off distance. I heard the slightest of giggles from the phone and had my answer. Fang looked both angry and amused.

"Don't think I don't know that you two can put a timer on those. You are SO busted when I get back to the hotel. Go STRAIGHT to the room and don't you dare even leave to so much as get a snack!" I hollered, right into the phone, loud enough that I was sure Iggy had to hold the phone away from his ear.

"But, Mom…" he whined. I could just HEAR the smirk in his voice.

"Iggy if you two are not in the room when I get back, I will FORCE Fang to tell me what Gazzy's new power is." Silence on the other end.

"Don't be so surprised," I said, grinning ear to ear as I watched the dumbstruck look pass over Fang's face and imagined it on Iggy's. "You two are LOUD when you're excited about something. You better be in there guys."

"Yes, mom," Iggy said, barely managing to get the words out. I hung up and kept the phone out, waiting for the other two calls.

"Y-you knew?" Fang asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Don't think I don't pay attention. Occasionally I do know when one of you guys are trying to slip something past me." Fang smiled, kissed me, then moved me out of the way as people rushed to see what had happened. They better not have blown up important Greek monuments. I was still waiting for the other two calls five minutes later.

"What's taking them so long?" I asked, impatiently pacing back and forth in front of the temple of Nike. Fang was trying unsuccessfully to calm me down.

"I knew this was a bad idea," I said, more to myself than anyone else. "I shouldn't have let them go off by themselves." When the phone rang, I jumped, then gave a sigh of relief and answered it.

"Hello? Are you okay?" I asked quickly.

"We're fine, Mom. Angel's freaking out because I called you and she said she's taking us to meet up with you guys. We'll be there really soon as this rate. She said something bad's gonna happen." Nudge's voice dimmed as she turned away from the phone to speak to Angel. I glanced frantically at Fang and then turned my attention back to the phone. Listening to what Angel told me was one of my very first instincts. Nudge sighed as she came back on.

"I don't know. She just says we need to get over to you guys really fast. She seems to know where she's going. What was that explosion earlier? Was that what Angel's talking about? Or was that Iggy and Gazzy?"

"The boys," I replied, wearily. "Ask her what's going to happen."

"I have. She won't tell me. We'll be there soon though. Bye, Mom."

"Bye." I hung up and turned to Fang.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Angel said something bad is going to happen. Why hasn't Omen called yet?" I was beginning to panic and my normally evenly spaced 360 scans became frantic and erratic. I jumped when Fang cradled my face in his hands and kissed my forehead.

"Calm down, Max. She probably just meant the explosion. Omen'll call soon. Don't worry okay?" I nodded, though his words didn't really help and he kissed me again, this time on the lips before pulling away so I could continue pacing. When the phone rang a third time, I felt myself collapse in relief.

Omen watched, waiting for the right moment to call. First call. Max looked really upset. It probably had to do with the explosion only a few minutes before. After hanging up, she spoke with Fang then they kissed, igniting anger in Omen's gut. It took a long time for the next call to come; long enough to set Max pacing and Fang trying to calm her. She answered, looking more scared and panicked the longer she spoke with the girls on the other end. Upon ending the call, Max looked with fear at Fang and her eyes passed over Omen more often, much more often than he felt comfortable with. Now his turn. He had to be the last person to check in, the latest and therefore most accurate update would be from him, the one they suspected the most. Omen pulled out the cell phone they had allotted him with and dialed the number they had saved for the phone Max and Fang would be carrying.

"Hello?" Her voice was frantic, something Omen wished he could solve.

"Hello, Max. I am safe," he said, watching the relief in her body and face as he spoke. How good it felt to make her feel better.

"What took you so long to call?" she asked.

"I lost track of the time. I apologize."

"It's alright, Omen. I think we're regrouping at the hotel now, so meet us there. The boys blew up something and Angel's freaking out. She says she has to see me right away. We'll meet you there, okay?"

"I will see you there. Good bye, Max."

"Bye." They both hung up and Omen watched as Max explained everything to Fang, the one he could no longer think of only as 'the boy', before they started walking in the direction of the hotel. The little girl who had slept with him that one night, Angel, came towards the couple, looking just as afraid as Max had been only moments before when thinking of his safety. This occurrence was…unexpected, but… doable.


	46. Chapter 46

"Well?" Fang asked.

"Everyone's safe. Omen just lost track of the time," I stated.

"See? I told you they were alright. Now let's go back to the hotel. I might just tell you Gazzy's power anyway depending on what they blew up." I smiled, wrapping my arm around his waist so we could walk back to the hotel together.

Omen was safe. I could relax now, knowing my whole flock was okay. Now I just had to end my first date with Fang early to go punish the boys and calm Angel down. So far nothing bad had happened, and knock on wood nothing would. That's when I saw Angel, nearly in tears running towards me with Nudge and Total on a leash trying to keep up. That little girl could be fast when she wanted to.

I pulled away from Fang and crouched down, opening my arms so I could hug her as soon as she reached me. Angel leaped into my arms and the tears finally started down her cheeks. What had my poor baby so scared? You've been following the story, folks. You know these are tough kids and what it takes to make them cry. What was so wrong that Angel was crying in fear?

"Angela honey, what is it?" I asked, using a soothing voice while stroking her hair. I was on one knee and one foot on the ground with Angel cradled in my arms. Too bad I couldn't use real names now that they were here. It would've comforted her more to hear her own name.

"Something bad is gonna happen, Max," she sobbed.

"What is it? What's going to happen sweetheart? It can't be this bad can it?" She nodded and the sobs became too much for her to speak. Fang crouched down behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder so he could look at her. Nudge and Total had finally caught up and were standing in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Max. I don't know what's wrong and she was running WAY too fast for me to keep up with her. I didn't mean for her to get so far ahead." I nodded at Nudge and held Angel's head against the crook of my neck. I was really starting to feel like a mom now.

"Honey, please tell me," I murmured. Suddenly she sat up straight in my lap looking around in fear.

"Fang," she said, her voice squeaking from the tightness in her throat. I immediately felt fear and confusion, turning my head to look at him, but seeing nothing wrong.

"What about Fang, Ang?" I prodded. She eventually had to resort to speaking in my mind, too scared and upset to speak out loud.

_Omen! He's gonna kill Fang!_

"No he's not sweetheart. The Voice told me-"

_That he's not gonna HURT Fang._ I felt icy cold fear fill me up and looked around for the danger, sitting Angel down on the ground so I could stand up and fight without hurting her. Fang stood straight too, looking around the area with me, even not knowing what I was looking for. Then I saw it. Omen was hiding behind some bushes and the side of a building with a gun in his hands, or connected to them, aiming his sights on Fang who had moved more than ten feet away from me for room to maneuver should anything attack.

"No!" I screamed, sprinting to Fang and standing in the line of fire. Then I felt a sharp, deep pain in my back and went limp in Fang's surprised arms.


	47. Chapter 47

"No!" Fang felt his heart stop when Max appeared between him and Omen's gun, only seconds after he had seen him hiding behind the building in bushes. Then the sound of a gunshot and Max's hurt, surprised eyes meeting his. She shouldn't have been surprised. She was the one who had jumped between him and the bullet. Max went limp in his arms, probably from the bullet hitting or grazing her spinal cord.

He went numb and the only thoughts that seemed to get through were practical or useless, like the fact that you couldn't see the blood from the front so the bullet must still be inside and she looked awfully pretty with her eyes closed, almost peaceful except for the small furrow of pain between her eyebrows.

"Max," Fang whispered. The others were silent as he set her gently on the ground, bending to kiss that furrow, that one sign of life left in her. The blood dripping slowly out of the side of her mouth didn't bode well. She was showing signs of internal bleeding, something Jeb had taught them about. It was almost impossible to heal when you were on your own like they were. You needed a trained doctor or a hospital and either choice had to have the right equipment. They had none of that.

"Max," Fang whispered again, wishing she would respond and feeling tears slide down his cheeks. The others kneeled around them, crying just as much as he was. Slowly she opened her eyes as if every movement was a great strain. What all had that robot's bullet hit- lungs, spine, and maybe even the… heart?

"Max?" Angel asked tentatively.

"Hey, baby," Max choked out, spitting blood with her words as she fought against whatever paralysis held her to touch Angel's hand. It must've been in only one side of the body. Fang was glad that he was numb, that he couldn't feel all the pain that was sure to come up later after she was… No, he wouldn't even think it.

"Oh, Max," Gazzy sobbed, resting his head and folded arms very gently on her stomach. She cooed, trying to soothe him even though she couldn't reach him.

"It's okay, Gaz. I-I was supposed to die today anyway."

"What?" Iggy gasped, "What are you talking about?" He seemed to be taking it the worst. Nudge had been silent this whole time, watching Max with hurt, sad eyes. It was unnerving to hear her so quiet.

"My time," she said. "My expiration date showed up a few… days ago." Max had to take a moment to hold in convulsions. She was really not in good shape. Fang felt like hitting himself. Of course she wasn't. She had just taken a bullet for him and her expiration date… Why hadn't she told anyone?

"Is that why you've been acting so strange?" Fang asked quietly. Max managed a nod and a heart-warming, heart-breaking smile.

"Be… safe," she croaked, spitting up yet another gob of blood as the life went out of her.

The others turned away with sadness or collapsed on Max's body in tears. Iggy gently lifted Max's head to look at the little numbered tattoo on the back of her neck. There is was all right. And it even matched the date. Why hadn't she told them? Fang stood up and backed away, looking all around the Acropolis of Megora, which was what the women had called it, looking for an answer to his questions. Then he saw Omen and felt nothing but burning anger.

"Omen!" he yelled. "You killed her! You KILLED HER!" Fang felt the fury build as he stalked over to the robot's hiding place, ready to pull him out by his family jewels if he had to. He wanted a fight and the robot was the perfect candidate for an opponent.


	48. Chapter 48

Omen felt empty, watching Max flash into the bullet's path and then fall, limbs useless into Fang's arms. It had been too late to stop his finger or stop the bullet. All he could do was watch in horror. The flock gathered around her as she spoke her dying words and upon her death, Fang, no the BOY, had stood up and come after him. When the boy started yanking Omen out from behind the building to a clear area, all he could think was, "The boy is at fault. He is the one who killed Max, not me. I will avenge her." With that came a rage and urge to fight almost as strong as Fang's was. Within moments fists and other painful, fast things were flying.

Fang swung a hard roundhouse kick, Max's signature move, managing to make the robot stumble, though not knocking him over or caving in his chest like it would if it was a normal man or even one of the flock. But that was okay. Fang WANTED this to last. He would torture the robot to his last mechanically influenced breath. Omen managed to get a punch in to the side of Fang's head and Fang's world swirled from the pain.

Omen grunted in satisfaction as his hand connected with Fang's head, then his gut while Fang was still stunned from the first blow. The kick had hurt, but it was hardly enough to kill him. Fang bent over, wrapping himself around the pain and Omen smirked, feeling how easy a quarry the boy had turned out to be and wishing he could've made it last longer. However as he swung his hand down on the boys' neck for the killing blow, he straightened out, grabbing Omen's hand and flipping him through the air and at one of the outer walls of a nearby building. THAT one had hurt.

Fang growled as the robot got up, coming closer. While he wanted to relish defeating it, Fang knew he couldn't keep this up for long. A blow like that would've at least seriously injured him and here the robot was standing up and brushing himself off. The original Omega's weakness had been speed, but they probably fixed that in the remake. So what was Omega 2.0's?

Omen stood still waiting for the boy to make the mistake of rushing forward. Instead he waited too, so they were both at a standoff. The rest of the flock had stayed out of the way, seeing murder in Fang's eyes and knowing he would be REALLY angry at them if they interfered, even if it was a life or death matter. Omen smirked thinking of the last version of him, weakened by speed. Ha! What a fool he had used to be.

But then, Max had weakened him. She had drained him of all his energy. Omen knew better than to get close to the quarry, but he had and it had cost him and would've cost more if circumstances had been different. If only someone would do something! They had been standing still, panting and glaring at each other for five minutes, waiting for the other to make the first move.

Fang was beginning to realize that while he was angry enough to wrestle a tiger, Omen was too strong, had too much energy and too much endurance for Fang to be able to keep fighting him on an even playing field for long. Already he was tired and the anger was fading away to be replaced by such sadness. For the first time, he realized he might lose.

"Fang! His weakness is Max!" Angel called, eliciting a scowl of anger on Omen's face and one of confusion on Fang's. Angel flinched at the look, remembering when they had shared dreams and sleep one night to fight away the nightmares.

"How am I supposed to use that?"

"I don't know." Fang laughed sarcastically watched, noticing Omen's weight shift the slightest bit. Suddenly they were at each other's throats again with Omen quickly and obviously gaining the advantage while Fang tried desperately to think of how to use Max as a strength for him and a weakness for the robot. This fight had only a few seconds left of fair play and Fang was quickly losing.


	49. Chapter 49

I looked at my flock one last time before the darkness descended around me, smothering me in a blanket of black. It was the kind of thing that would've scared me before, but the date on the back of my neck had somehow prepared me for the end. Now, I just waited peacefully for the famous light at the end of the tunnel. It never came. Instead the darkness slowly grew brighter until only white could be seen.

"Hello, Max." It was the Voice. And this time it was outside of my head.

"Voice!" I called, looking around to see if maybe I could see the owner. Instead I saw the flock. Only something was… different about them.

"Please don't be dead too," I said. "Not yet."

"We're not dead," the Voice said. I squinted through the brightness and finally placed what the difference was. All of them were older by at least ten years. And there was an older me there too. When the Voice spoke, it came out of all their mouths together, including the older me.

"We're looking back from the future."

"So… the Voice is all of the flock in… the future? And you guys are somehow talking to me in the past?" They all nodded and smiled gently at me, giving me time to wrap my mind around that. Whoa.

"So, I must not be dead if… there's a future me, right?" Future Max shook her head. Should I call her (me?) future Max or future me? It was all too confusing.

"No. You are dead," said the Voice, now future flock. I'll just continue using the title, the Voice, for convenience.

"Then wha-"

"You still have to save the world, Max. Now, you no longer have an expiration date." They all smiled at me again. I was getting creeped out about how the future flock was so in sync.

"But what about the others?" I asked, panicking. "Fang and Iggy are only a couple months younger than me and that's too short and horrible a life. I can't lose them!" Another synchronized nod.

"Max, you were the first and last avian/human hybrid experiment with an expiration date. After they created you, they realized that the bird/human cross didn't need an expiration date to survive."

"So… you're saying the only thing that keeps the Erasers and the others alive is the fact that they have an expiration date?" I questioned, trying to get everything straight. The 'Voice' gave me a patient look and nodded again. I sure was getting tired of those weird nods.

"We're sorry," they said. Well, they could read my mind too, even in this place.

"What about Total? He's not avian/human. He's… something else."

"He will expire, but on a normal dog's lifespan. The whitecoats wanted to see if he could survive that long with so many different types of DNA."

"Oh." I felt sadness and hoped Angel wouldn't read my mind when I got back.

"Wait, will I be going back?"


	50. Chapter 50

Fang raised his arm, fighting off the barrage of blows, while trying to find an in at Omen. The robot wasn't even TRAINED in martial arts and he was beating Fang. Angel's hint at a weakness seemed to be no help either. What could he do?

Omen paused to watch Fang crouch, enjoying the feeling of beating the boy. The boy hadn't deserved Max and now she was dead because of him. Then Omen was flying through the air, yet again and crashing into a wall. Fang had taken the moment of pause and used it.

"Stop Omen!" Fang yelled. "Stop fighting me. Max was going to die today anyway!" A sob tore its way up Fang's throat and out his mouth when he realized that he had used the word 'die'.

"What nonsense," Omen replied, standing up and brushing himself off. "You just want me to stop before I kill you." Fang grimaced.

"That's right. I DON'T want you to kill me, but Max was gonna die anyway. She had the expiration date!"

"Ex-expiration date?" Omen asked. He looked shell-shocked.

"You know about that, huh?" Omen nodded at looked at Max with such sadness it would've broken a devil's heart.

"At least you don't have the urge to kill her anymore," Fang sighed, looked back at Max himself. Than Omen lunged at him, and all Fang could see was the world flying by with Omen riding him to the ground.

"You'll be going back, Max. You have to stop the boys from fighting after all. And there's still the world to save." The Voice (future flock) chuckled and smiled at me. ALL IN SYNC. It was really starting to get ridiculous.

"Are we really that… TOGETHER in the future?" I asked.

"No. Just the combination of several new powers. We decided that you needed guidance and someone told us that WE were the Voice you always heard." I just shook my head, too confused by the time stream warp thing to even try and come up with an answer to that.

"Which boys are fighting?" I asked.

"Omen and Fang. They've stopped for now, but-" The Voice paused, seeming to stare of into space for a minute. "They're starting again." I growled and rolled my eyes. Of course. As soon as I'm dead all hell breaks loose.

"And the others?"

"They are watching. Omen is about to win." I freaked, my eyes widening and anger spreading through me.

"Why aren't they helping him?" I asked, incredulous.

"Because he won't let them. He wants to win on his own." For the first time, one of them did different than the others, future Fang looking sheepish. As he differed from the others, they wavered like when the picture on the TV in a hotel does during a thunderstorm.

"Nudge is taking the bullet out now. We'll send you back. It's going to hurt, Max," the Voice said, warning and full of love. I nodded and prepared myself for it. Obviously it was going to hurt. I was going back to a body with a bullet wound through the back.

"I'm re-" I started to say before I felt the pull of my body, dragging me back to it. They must have kept my soul or life force or whatever in some place safe until… something happened. I dropped back into my body with a jolt and moaned in pain. It was even worse than before.


	51. Chapter 51

"She's alive," Nudge gasped. I was on my stomach with my head turned sideways on the ground. Ooh that hurt. I felt a something tingling inside me up to my back right along with the pain, making it more than unbearable.

"She's healing too. Like Iggy did," Nudge added. I screamed bucking on the ground from the pain. I felt weight on me as the others held me down. I didn't care if I had to save the world or if Fang and Omen were fighting. I just wanted the pain to stop, to go back to that safe white place with the future flock. It hadn't hurt there. Fang.

Slowly the pain died away and I was left whimpering on the ground. Fang needed my help. Were they still fighting after all of that? I painstakingly sat up, looking for the guys. The younger kids through themselves at me crying with relief and happiness while Iggy just stared with tears pouring down his face. I finally found Fang rolling around with Omen like the mini-tornadoes that fights were on cartoons. Idiot, Fang. He should've let the others help him.

I fought for purchase on my feet and Iggy helped, me putting my arm around his shoulder. I smiled weakly at him and winced as more tingling started in my back. I must have ripped open the wound by standing. Iggy was lucky he had been passed out when the chemical healed him. Did I have more in me?

"Stop," I panted. "Fang. Stop." He looked over at me, such happiness and relief on his face that I almost cried. Omen took the pause to punch Fang's face and I winced. I needed to get him to stop.

"Omen!" I said, managing to speak louder. How many wounds did I have anyway? I thought it was just the one bullet wound? Then, I guess, there were all the ones from me rolling around on the ground.

"Max?" he asked, looking at me. I dared Fang with my eyes to take advantage of Omen's distraction.

"Stop fighting you idiots. I'm alive." They backed away from each other and came towards me, looks of disbelief on their faces.

"Stay there, Omen," I commanded. He stopped in his tracks. I was glad I didn't have to threaten him. It wouldn't seem like a very real threat in the condition I was in and I didn't have enough strength to stay talking that long. Fang took me from Iggy and held me, squeezing me so tight I almost couldn't breathe and I was sure he was further ripping the bullet wound open, especially when the painful tingling started up again.

"I promised you I wouldn't die," I whispered. "Wasn't sure about not getting hurt though." He laughed into my neck and I felt wetness from his cheeks. The rest of my flock gathered around us, making a rather large group hug. All of us were crying and laughing and I felt a pang of sadness when I saw Total. He was the only one of us still with an expiration date. If Omen had one, it didn't matter, because he was not longer flock. I looked up at him and the others moved to my side and back so I could get an unobstructed view.

"Go now, Omen. You don't need to kill me anymore, but if I EVER see you again, you will not survive." No one argued with me about letting him live. I was just too angry and too much of a humanitarian. It was probably why I had put up with the trip to Antarctica even with Bridget the red-haired wonder there. There was also that time I had saved Ella, when I'd taken Omen and Total in. And so many other times that it was hard to remember them all.

"Max-" he breathed, his tone suggesting he was going to argue.

"Leave before I lose my patience and kill you. I won't let you try and hurt my flock anymore." He gazed at me, for what was perhaps the longest minute of my life, as if memorizing my face.

"I won't hurt you, Max. And hurting the flock will hurt you," he stated, straightening up. "Good bye." I nodded and watched him switch into warp, speeding away to the island edge. He could run underwater for as long as he wanted. I just hoped he stayed there a really good long time. We walked back to the hotel in a happy, daze, not noticing the fear or suspicion on the faces of people who walked by, seeing my and Fang's ripped, bloody clothes. The little ones had some on them from hugging me, but not that much. For the second time since we'd arrived in Greece, all we could do was fall in one giant heap together in one room. This time it was more for comfort than for exhaustion, though I was certainly feeling that. Dying took a lot out of a girl.


	52. Chapter 52

I woke up first the next morning and decided to take a shower to wash off all the blood and death and memories of yesterday. To keep from waking the others, I went to the shower in the next room over which we had also booked. It was early, early morning, just barely past midnight, but I expected nothing less. We had gone to bed before noon yesterday.

It felt good to get clean again and to get rid of the dried blood. I showered and dressed slowly, making sure to take my time with everything. Just now it was hitting me that I had DIED yesterday. It was only because of this mission that I was still alive. People, including future flock-people wanted me to finish this mission. If only they had given me more clues about the future and if I had saved the world or not. I was starting to get that clear, sharp edge on everything that I got during a fight only this time, it was because I was really appreciating my world and the fact that I was still alive. I jumped when I stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed and loving everything. Fang was sitting on one of the beds, staring at me.

"How long have you been there?" I asked. He was clean and in his own set of new clothes. Obviously not that long.

"About ten minutes. There must not be anymore hot water in there," he said, teasing. I smiled and sat down next to him, leaning against his shoulder. Fang put his arm around me and I snuggled even closer, closing my eyes. I was ALIVE. I could FEEL this. Amazing.

Fang's tone was serious and quiet when he spoke next, just like when he was around the flock or strangers that he wasn't acting for. "I-I almost lost you today, Max."

"I know," I mumbled, already half-asleep in Fang's comforting embrace. Classy. That's me. He stiffened around me and I sat up, looking at his face to see what was wrong.

"Fang?" I asked, feeling my heart ache at the stricken expression on his face. Then he pressed his lips to mine, an open-mouthed kiss from the very start that felt… different than the others, more desperate and passionate. It took only a moment of surprise for me to kiss back just as strongly.

"Fang," I breathed when his lips moved from my mouth and down my neck, working at my skin so I felt both hot and cold at the same time, shivering and sweating.

"I love you, Max," he whispered into the crook of my neck. "I don't want to lose you again."

"You won't. I'm staying right here," I assured. Fang pulled away and smiled at me, taking in my every feature like Omen had done before he left. Then Fang's lips were crushed against mine and his hands were working up the inside of my shirt to the joint where my wings connected to my back. This time he worked down the other side of my neck and over the strap of the tank top I was wearing to my bare shoulder, kissing, licking, sucking, and biting. This was more than we had ever done before.

"Fang," I said, this time in a protesting voice. "We ca-" My words were cut off as he kissed me again, gently forcing my mouth open while leaning me back on the bed, watching to make sure he didn't crush my wings. Suddenly, I was the one pushing myself hard against Fang, trying to get him closer and struggling with his shirt. Darn teenage bird kid hormones.

We managed to get both our shirts off and Fang kissed down my chest, pausing at the bra. Before, I hadn't worn one. Where would I get a bra as a bird kid on the run? I didn't even know how to pick my size. Luckily, Jeb had been around when I started my period, awkward and fascinating as it was for him (before you go getting bad ideas, boys and girls, I was the first experiment with a menstrual cycle and I had started earlier than most of you do). When Mom had taken us in and put us on the front of the CSM movement, she had bought me some bras and taught me how to pick after she came home. She hadn't even made me go through any sort of embarrassment (she was so cool). But now I did and it was giving Fang pause. In the state I was in. I didn't want him to pause.

So while he kissed around my bra, I scrabbled at the button on his pants. That's when Fang pulled away entirely, rolling away and sitting up on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. You can imagine my shock. It took me a minute to comprehend that he was upset about something.

"What's wrong?" I asked gently. "Are you okay?" He was silent and I felt frustrated.

"Come on now. You know I can tell what you're thinking," I added, teasing, trying for at least quirking lips. Instead I got a small chuckle. Point one for Max.

"I don't want you to become like my mom," he mumbled.

"Y-your mom?"

"A pregnant teenager, Max. She got pregnant when she was young and then she had to give me up because she couldn't take care of me and now here I am a mutated freak fighting and running for my life," he explained. Ohhhh. NOW it all made sense. I moved so I was perching on the edge of the bed too. Next to him, but not touching.

"Watch it mister. I'm a mutated freak too." Another joke, another small chuckle that quickly disappeared.

"Besides if all of that didn't happen, you never would've ended up in the cage next to mine and I'd be all to pieces because you wouldn't be here to make sure I kept my head on straight and gave us a break every once in a while." Fang quirked his lips at me, and shook his head.

"What?" I asked.

"That was cheesy, Max. Even for you," he said.

"I know." And we both laughed before Fang held out his arm and let me snuggle against his bare chest. Mm… Bare-chested Fang. We moved to lay down on the bed on our stomachs, cuddled against each other. We fell asleep that way, after I made sure the hotel door was locked. I SO did not want one of the others or a maid to walk in with me and Fang lying shirtless together on a bed, especially Iggy.


	53. Chapter 53

"Max! Fang! Are you guys in there?" I grunted and looked around groggily for the origin of the noise. The flock was pounding on the hotel room door.

"Hey! The key for this room is missing and so are you! Are you guys IN THERE?"

"Yeah. Just chill out guys!" I called.

"Are you guys NAKED?" Nudge asked excitedly. I groaned. Even Nudge had woken up before me? What was the world coming to? But then again, I had died just yesterday. I couldn't be expected to be at my best the very next day.

"No, Nudge!" I called. Shirtless wasn't naked, was it? Fang watched whatever frustration I felt pass over my face, smiling at me. Right, I was shirtless… in front of Fang! Why hadn't that seemed like a strange or awkward thing last night?

"Fang! You got something to say in there, bro?" Iggy yelled.

"Go away!" Fang replied. I heard Iggy chuckle and heard the little ones away.

"Whatever you say, Fangmeister. Just give me details later!" I groaned again and started getting off the bed. Fang laughed, pulling me back down so that my back was pressed into his chest while he curled around me.

"I'm gonna kill him later for the 'Fangmeister' comment," he said. I rolled my eyes, but stopped trying to get up. Our bare skin felt nice against each other, despite the new awkwardness.

"And not for the 'give me details later' part?"

"I'll leave that one for you."

"No, you can take that one too. I'm gonna get them for saying our real names so loud in public." Fang chuckled into my hair and kissed my neck.

"Mm…" I mumbled, turning around so I could kiss Fang's mouth and bury my head in his chest and neck.

"We should get up now, before they have a reason to be teasing us," he said. What did that mean: that he didn't want them to think we were taking too long or that he thought we might end up actually doing something?

I nodded and we rolled off the bed in opposite directions, watching that we didn't hurt our wings. While we pulled our shirts, socks, and shoes on, I was already planning the flock's new training schedule. We very obviously needed it.

When I followed Fang out of the room (more to *blush* watch his butt than so he could check for bad guys), Angel stopped me right at the door. She still looked worse for wear after yesterday. She was the one who had known what would happen. I'd have to ask her about that later.

"Ma- mom, can I talk to you in private?" she asked. Or not later. She must've heard my murderous thoughts when she started in on my name as well.

"Of course, sweetheart. And if I catch any of you goons listening in, you're gonna be in SO much trouble." Iggy snickered, but listened to Fang when he led the flock down to the hotel's breakfast room. Oh! I hoped Angel hadn't read whatever thoughts had been going through Iggy's mind when he found Fang and me locked up in a hotel room together.

"He made sure I didn't hear whatever it was," Angel said. I smiled. Iggy had some decency after all. Don't tell him I told you though. He'd consider it a horrible mark on his reputation.

"Good girl." We walked back into the room Fang and I had just come out of and sat on one of the chairs by the window so I could watch for intruders while Angel climbed onto my lap.

"So what is it, Ang?" I prodded. She looked so very serious for a six-year-old.

"I heard your thoughts when you were dead."


	54. Chapter 54

"What?" I felt my voice go high and squeaky and worked to tone it down. "You mean-" She nodded and I sat for a moment, trying to think of how that must've been. Angel, in essence, had died yesterday with me. She had heard who the Voice was and knew about everything we'd talked about. Wow.

"It took me a while to realize I still heard your thoughts. I listened until the… Voice said you were going to come back. Then I told Nudge to take the bullet out," she explained. So she didn't know what to call the Voice now either.

"I wish you hadn't heard that," I sighed. "It must've felt horrible to die with me."

"Yeah, but that happens every time I'm near someone who dies. I'm used to it. Besides now we have a secret from the others." She beamed at me.

"You've been around Nudge too long," I stated. Angel's smile grew wider.

"And what about when we pretended you were our traitor? No one knew about that, did they?"

"No, but that didn't last very long," she replied, frowning. I smiled and tickled her, causing squeals of laughter.

"Max, Max! Stop," she panted, laughing hard and trying to wiggle out of my grasp.

"What's the word?" I asked, hiding it from her in my mind.

"I-I don't know," she giggled, gripping her stomach. "Oh, Max, stop. You're making my tummy hurt."

"Aha! The word was tummy," I said and stopped tickling her. She smiled at me and got off my lap.

"Let's go get some breakfast now," I said.

"Okay." She took my hand and we walked through the hotel while Angel's face faded from breathless red, to her normal coloring. Maybe I didn't need Valium to be all lovey-dovey. I just had to die and come back to life and then I got mushy with everyone. Angel giggled at my thoughts and held my hand tighter. The feeling of all around love intensified when I saw my flock at a table, with chairs from other tables pulled up so they could all sit together. From what I could hear with my raptor hearing over the noise of late morning patrons, they were arguing very, very quietly about what Fang and I had been doing in the hotel room. Yep, there goes the love. I can see it flying away into the distance like one of the flock.

"Hey everybody," I said loud enough for the benefit of any listeners then in our secret quiet tone, I added, "If I hear one more word about Fang and me, I will give you all night watches and double your training schedule." They groaned just as quietly, hiding it behind bright-eyed, bushy-tailed faces and several hellos, or hi moms. I smiled, kissed Fang's cheek, and pulled up a chair between him and Nudge, with Angel in my lap again. The table was already laden with food. I guessed we weren't going for discretion today. Or maybe eating a normal sized meal at several different places reminded them too much of Omen.

"So what are our plans for today?" I asked, stroking Angel's hair, an absent-minded, yet acceptable for our public's expectations.

"Don't you have anything planned?"

"She wants to start training us again," Angel flock-whispered. I nodded.

"This will be our last vacation day for awhile, so I'm letting you guys decide." The others looked at each other, sharing looks and I was sure Angel was telling them all what each of them were thinking. An in-mind conversation between five people. I wasn't sure if Fang was in on this. I was surprised by what they eventually said, with somber, serious faces.

"Let's start training again," Iggy stated.

"What? But I thought you guys were tired of running all the time."

"Yeah, but this isn't running. This is training and sometimes that's fun. Besides, yesterday showed just how much we WEREN'T prepared anymore," Fang said. I guess he had been on it.

"We've gone soft," Gazzy stated. He was right. They all were, but I wasn't used to giving orders without having them argued.

"But-"

"Max, they're not arguing with you. That's supposed to be a good thing." I smiled at Fang.

"All right," I sighed, then in the audience voice, "Let's call up Grandma and Grandpa. Maybe we can get them out here to us." My flock smiled and we devoured our breakfast, leaving not even a crumb on the table, though we hadn't gone so low as to lick the table's surface.


	55. Chapter 55

"Hey Mom," I said into the hotel phone.

"Max! We were so worried about you. It's been so long since we saw you. Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're fine." No need to tell her about my death-and-come-back-to-life experience.

"I wanna start training the flock again and I was wondering if you and Jeb could come help me out. Our time with CSM has not been good on our running away skills." She chuckled (so cool. What did I tell you?)

"Of course, honey. Where are you?" she asked.

"Um… In Athens, Greece?"

"Well, you guys DO get around don't you? We'll come. Just give us a day or two to get our stuff together and flights arranged." I nodded, then remembered that she couldn't hear that. I still wasn't used to talking on phones.

"We have cell phones now, so call us when you get the information. We'll meet you at the airport. Can you put Jeb on? I'll tell him our numbers." No point in asking if he was there if I could hear him breathing impatiently in the background.

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom." There was the sound of the phone shifting and then Jeb was on the line. I looked around for my flock and saw they had gone back to the room to do whatever they did when we weren't on the run or sightseeing. That didn't happen a lot, so I wasn't sure.

"Why didn't you tell me that the flock doesn't have expiration dates?" I asked, voice accusing.

"Y-you know about that?"

"Yeah, and you don't get to know how either. Just tell me."

"Because I never thought it was important."

"Not important?" I yelled, causing several people to look at me in alarm. Luckily, I think most of them didn't understand English and if they did, 'not important' made wasn't all that revealing. I lowered my voice for the next part.

"They're my BABIES, Jeb. I need to know everything about them and what was done to us when we were little so I can take care of them," I whispered, covering my mouth to make sure no one heard. Jeb wouldn't be able to hear the flock whisper.

"I'm sorry, Max," he said. I humphed, not able to argue anymore.

"Dr. Martinez told me that you want to start training the flock again."

"Yeah. I was hoping you and Mom would come down here to help me out. We've all gone soft because of our work with CSM and they're making rookie mistakes like using our real names in public and saying flock business too loud." Jeb made a tsking noise.

"You're right. Training is definitely in order, but where are you going to train in Greece?" he said.

"I was thinking of flying to one of the uninhabited islands here and training there. We might even be able to find an old house or build something to live in while we train," I answered.

"What about the Erasers and Flyboys?"

"They killed all the Erasers ages ago. You know that. And the Voice told me that the whitecoats were too busy with something else to chase us. That gives us time to get ready for them." While Jeb and Mom couldn't hear my nod, I could hear his, cheek brushing against the phone's mouthpiece.

"We'll be there. Two days at the most."

"Okay." I saw my flock coming back down the stairs, turning their heads to look for me at the phone kiosks.

"The others are coming. Do either of you want to talk to them?" I asked.

"Do they know they don't have expiration dates?"

"No, but I should probably tell them so they don't worry about it all the time. Well? Do either of you want to talk with the rest of the flock?"

"Your mom does. Can I get your cell phone numbers first?" he replied.

"Yeah. Hold on." I pulled out my phone and went through the very small list: Jeb, Mom, Ella, Cell 2, Cell 3, and This Phone. I gave him the numbers for all three of our phones then I passed the phone to Nudge who wanted to talk first while Jeb passed his end to Mom.

"Max and Fang are DATING!" she squealed. Yep. We definitely needed training.


	56. Chapter 56

so guys. here it is... the ending the last part. this part isn't real story type of a part, more like wrapping everything up, but there you go. you need something to make an ending. now, before you start reading this, i want you to completely clear your mind. no pre-thoughts about whether or not you want a sequel. when you reach the end, think really, really hard. is this a good enough ending? or do you want another fanfic? don't answer now, even in your subconcious. i want your HONEST unAFFECTED opinions. so, without further adiu, part fifty six ladies and gentlymen.

Jeb and Mom ended up taking THREE days to get to us in Greece. They had some followers when they went to buy the tickets, so they had to make several detours first. I wondered who had been following them. Probably whitecoats, trying to figure out why they were traveling together. Or at least, I hoped, but with our reinforced, reinstated training, I couldn't take anything for granted anymore. Oy. I had forgotten how PARANOID we were back in the days of running for our lives every day.

We had managed to find an uninhabited, rarely visited island, just the right size for six bird kids and a flying dog to train. The first couple months though, we worked to make the island habitable for all of us, finding several caves, a few streams and tons of island animals and edible plant life. The first few days had been tough for Iggy to make something good for us to eat, but he managed. What could I say? He was a culinary genius.

After we were all settled on the island with food, water, and shelter at our disposal, training started. While Jeb trained me, grooming me even more into the role of leader, I trained the flock, reinforcing what we had learned back in the house in the mountains and adding more as Jeb taught me. I wouldn't let my training be any better than theirs in case they had to protect themselves when I wasn't there. While I promised myself I would never leave them to face a bad guy on their own, I wouldn't be so stupid as to think they wouldn't be up against a baddie on their own one day.

Fang and I were still… together. Happy sigh. There's not much more I can say there except that there were times when I regretted being the leader and therefore the one person on the island with less free time than Jeb. Ella, who Mom had no choice but to bring, and Nudge were CONSTANTLY gossiping about everything, though mainly on the subject of Fang and me. Just for that, I made sure Nudge had to go through a lot more training than the others (and she needs it more, but she doesn't believe me).

Iggy seemed… weird when we all got together for meals. Quiet and blushing all the time. I didn't understand it, but the others seemed to know. All except Jeb, Mom, and Ella. Whatever. He would figure it out himself or get someone to help him.

I eventually managed to get Gazzy to tell me his power (and what they had blown up in Greece, only a cliff, not a monument) and I did NOT use him all the time like he thought I would. Instead I used making a fire without any tools OR powers a punishment when they did something bad (like blow up a cliff for example) and it drove the Gasman crazy because he knew how easily he could light the wood.

The flock was shocked, relieved, and confused when Jeb told them about the expiration dates. I gave them a look, warning them not to ask about what had happened to mine then explained later that Omen's shot had been enough for the requirements on the date and I didn't have one anymore. They were overjoyed by that. Total was upset for the rest of the day and even Akila (who also had no choice but to come) couldn't cheer him up. Poor guy.

The tattoo stayed on the back of my neck, a sorrowful reminder of what had happened in Athens. I didn't mind so much. It would certainly confuse the heck out of any whitecoats that managed to catch me, that is, if I they were even able to.

I didn't know when the whitecoats were going to be interested in us again or what kind of experiment would be attacking us next, but I did know we were going to be ready. Or as ready as one can ever be for a bunch of robots and genius scientists coming to kill you. Strangely, I missed Omen, but I knew that he couldn't stay with us. Not after what had happened in Athens. Not after he killed me (by accident) while trying to kill Fang and definitely not after he almost killed Fang AGAIN in a hand-to-hand fight. It's just… you know? He had felt like one of the good guys for a while and that night when Angel told me about his nightmares? That even made him almost human. Almost.

now... VOTE


End file.
